


Neon Bruises

by whynot



Series: Mason and Mae [13]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Car Sex, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Gangs, Hacking, Instant Attraction, Oral Sex, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Semi-Public Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 01:31:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11795640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whynot/pseuds/whynot
Summary: Mae is a leading exotic dancer at Madrigal's nightclub, where she takes an interest in the owner's bruiser. And he takes an interest in her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an example of the type of dancing Mae does for reference: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEnhhhWqnWQ&index=20&list=LL53QdujpbxcmW25qRVqRdUg

“Hey, where you think you’re goin’?”

Mae’s upper lip twitched in disgust as the drunk pulled her against his body again, one of his grubby hands pawing her ass. She was about two seconds away from digging the heel of her stiletto right into his foot. “My set’s starting soon,” she repeated, pushing at his chest.

“We still got 5 minutes, baby doll. I know when your little shows start. Why don’t you come with me to one of the back room—“ he choked on the last word, being yanked away so violently he bit his tongue. Mae shrunk away, flinching as Madrigal’s bruiser landed a punch so hard it made Mae’s teeth hurt to just watch. Again and again his fist connected with the man’s face until the drunk’s already wobbly legs gave out, sending him to the floor. The bruiser kicked him while he was down.

“That how you treat a lady?” he asked, the toe of his boot hammering into the man’s gut. “Huh?”

“All right, all right!” Mae moved without really thinking about it, taking a stance over the groaning patron so her feet were rooted on either side of him. “I think he gets it, big guy,” she insisted, hands palm side up like she was surrendering for her harasser. The bruiser was huffing like a taunted bull, eyes darting over her expression.

Mae had never spoken to him before, but she’s seen him almost every night since she started working at Madrigal’s. Mason, she’d been told his name was - Conrad's usual partner. He never failed to show up with the big boss, though the amount of time he’d stay would vary from an hour to all night. They’ve shared passing glances whenever Madrigal called her over for a chat, but they never really interacted.

The boss’s bruiser was a big fucker, had a scary aura hanging over him. Like he’d rip someone in half for just looking at him wrong. But Mae gathered the courage to place her hands on his chest, soothing them up to gently knead his shoulders, easing the tension. “End it, okay?” she told him, staring into the deep green of his eyes.

“Plenty of ways I can do that, kitten,” he responded, voice low and thrumming and so fucking hot.

“Just… kick him out?”

He held her gaze for a moment, and she could feel the violence melting off of him as he relaxed under her touch. Then abruptly he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her away from the man on the floor before hauling him up by his shirt to lead him towards the exit.

Mae watched him stride away, kneading at her palm, until one of her girls weaved her way to her. “Mae, c’mon! We’ve got 2 minutes.”

“Right. Coming.” She let herself be led away towards backstage.

 

* * *

 

_**3 weeks later** _

 

The stage bathed in darkness for a moment, she looked around blatantly for him. Like expected, he was leaning against the wall next to Madrigal’s V.I.P booth, arms folded over his chest. His attention was aimed in her direction, and when the dim purple floor lights illuminated Mae and her backup dancers, a smile split his face. 

Mae flicked her eyes forward, and after turning on the flashing neon lights of the hoop she held behind her back, she started off the set. The cheers erupted immediately, like they always did. As if half of the crowd weren't regulars who've seen her dance a hundred times over. She watched the bruiser in peripheral view, able to tell he was looking her way, but not if he was looking at her. Mae's girls had the same kind of beauty and almost the same level of skill, so it was entirely possible that he was eying one of them. 

She hadn’t spoken to him since that night, but the glances that they exchanged were different. More… heated. Wanting. Mae was attracted to him from day one, but their brief interaction had intensified it. She didn’t want to think about how seeing him beat someone down for her was what caused it.

Applause erupted once the set ended, and she retreaded backstage with her girls as soon as the lights dimmed again. Now began four hours of offering attention to the clubbers - chatting, dancing, laughing. Making them feel special. Maybe sit on a lap or two.

After the workplace socializing with done, Mae disappeared backstage again to retrieve her jacket and purse. She ended up staying for half an hour to have some private time with the other entertainers - what they called their ‘wind down time’. When she finally left, shrugging on her jacket over her performance outfit, security was working to get the remaining late nighters out so they could close.

Mae absentmindedly scanned the floor as she always did, and she did a double take when she saw Mason. Madrigal was gone, but he seemed to stay behind to take care of a disrupting patron.

She never caught the man alone before, so when the bloodied troublemaker scrambled off, Mae strode over. "Uh," she started.  _Smooth_. "I saw a couple creeps eying me earlier, and they're still here."

"Want me to take care of ‘em?" he questioned, just raring to go.

"Actually, I was wondering if you'd just walk me to my car."

"Oh. Yeah, I can do that."

She smiled as he draped his arm over her shoulders, and she laced her fingers with his as they walked. The night air was a relieving change from the humid club, but the walk to her car was shorter than she'd like. So short it was probably incredibly obvious that there was no reason for her to even need an escort to assure her safety. She ducked out of his hold, but clung to his hand.

He held her gaze, just like he had that first night, and her heartbeat sped up.

"... Give me the keys," he told her, and a grin split her face as she dug them out of her purse and tossed them to him. He made his way to the driver's seat while Mae sat passenger side, and she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as he started the engine and pulled out of the lot. Mae could see the tension in his forearm from the death grip he had on the wheel.

She fanned her right leg out, and the bruiser went tight lipped for a moment before giving in and letting go of the wheel to force her other leg to do the same. He raked his fingers up her inner thigh before hooking them under the crotch of her lingerie shorts to tug it out of the way. He kept it aside with his thumb, and Mae nearly cried out when he glided two fingers along her slit before sliding them inside her. 

"Christ," the bruiser mumbled, eyes still on the road. "You been wantin' me, kitten?"

Her hand lashed out to grip the seat's shoulder as she bucked against his hand. "Mhm," she choked out. She couldn't help but roll her hips, riding his fingers as he drove. She saw him glance at her in peripheral view. "Eyes on the road."

"Fuckin' dammit," he hissed, head snapping forward, and Mae smiled breathlessly. They came to a stoplight, and she didn't get a chance to protest when he retracted because he was suddenly scooping her up with one arm. In the blink of an eye she was straddling him, and before she even knew it her hands were fumbling with his belt. Excitement and arousal were churning inside her like a storm, and after shifting so one of her arms was wrapped around the seat's headrest she sunk down on him. She heard the leather of the steering wheel squeak in Mason’s tightening fist, and she curled her free arm under his chin to grip the hair on the side of his head as she started riding him, moving her hips in tiny rolls. So filled with excitement, she took him too deep too quickly, and the car surged violently.

"Fuckin' goddamn _shit_ ," Mason breathed before huffing out a laugh and reining the car back into control. He slipped a hand passed her lingerie to grip a handful of her ass, fingers denting in where the swell met her thigh. Mae grew more enthusiastic when she found just the right angle. 

"Oh my god," she moaned, voice watery. "You feel even better than I imagined you would..."  _Shit, did I really just say that...? Whatever._

As soon as her orgasm hit her the car stopped abruptly, and horns behind them went off relentlessly, but Mason ignored them and instead ground her down, shoving himself deeper inside and Mae cried out.

"Fuck, that's tight," Mason growled, bucking into her. "Christ, sweetheart..."

When her high died down she gingerly lifted herself off him, keeping eye contact until she twisted around to sit on his left thigh. She kicked at his foot on the pedal and took over for him, wrapping one hand around the wheel and the other around his cock. Mason gripped the seat's shoulder, and his other hand overlapped Mae's so she didn't have to put her attention on her pace. It only took a few strokes to make him come, and for the next few minutes of the ride Mae stayed curled against him, trailing lingering kisses over his jaw and neck.

 

* * *

 

The car had barely come to a stop when Mason turned the engine off, and Mae stumbled out while he zipped his pants. He draped his arm around her again to lead her into the apartment complex, and once the elevator doors closed he gathered her hair in his fist and pulled her into a searing kiss, having wanted to do so ever since he first laid eyes on her. She sighed contently and ran her hands up his chest, gently and with obvious appreciation. The doors slid open and he ushered her out to lead her down the corridor. He fumbled with his keys for a moment then swung the door open, gesturing for Mae to go first. He stepped in after her and locked the door, then watched as she scanned the apartment with wide eyes.

"Perks of workin' for Madrigal," Mason explained, and Mae wandered over to the windows. An entire wall of them, curtains drawn back to give a breathtaking view of the city, alive with lights and late nighters. "You like the view, kitten?" he asked, hands gliding up her arms before pulling her purse and jacket off her shoulders. "Bet it's one you can get used to."  _Was that too strong? Nah, it was pretty subtle._

"My name's Mae," she blurted, turning around to face him, and he smiled. How could someone so fucking sexy be so fucking cute at the same time?

"I know. They announce it every night."

"Right. Duh."

He leaned closer, waiting until their lips were a breath apart before asking her, "You know me?"

"Mason," she breathed dreamily, right before he captured her in another kiss. She let him unclasp her bra and made it easy for him to get it off of her, then kicked off her heels and slid off her shorts and thong. Mason took a step back, keeping his fingers laced with hers as he scanned his eyes over her.

"Fuckin' _kill me_ ," he sighed, and Mae smiled almost demurely. He lifted her up and pinned her thighs to his hips, kissing her the entire way to the bed. He dropped her onto the sheets and she breathed out a laugh when they bunched around her, surrounding her with luxurious white. She stared at the high ceiling for a moment before pushing herself up to watch as Mason stripped off his clothes. The way she gawked at him like he was some greek god, he couldn't hold back a proud smirk.

He crawled onto the bed like a predator, and he smiled against Mae's lips as he hovered over her, soothing a hand up her waist to glide it over her ribcage. Mae flopped down onto her back again and Mason straightened up, staring at her while he hooked her legs over his hips. Her silken black hair fanned out around her, a violent and stunning contrast to the sheets. Out of everyone he remembered bringing to his bed, she was the most beautiful, and he could easily see her being the last and only.

Okay, maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

She cleared her throat to get him out of his thoughts - a decidedly cheeky thing to do, and he responded with another kiss. He usually didn't waste time with them, but the vibrant mauve of her lips kept calling him back. Mae hooked her ankles together at the small of his back, and he nipped at her neck as he lined himself up.

The moan she sighed out as he slid into her almost had him say _fuck it_ to holding back, but it was their first - well, technically second - time, and he didn't want to get too rough without setting up boundaries and maybe a safe word. And right now he didn't feel like taking the time to do all that. 

Mae raked her fingers through his hair, another reveling moan rising out of her. She was just as vocal as Mason imagined she was, just as handsy. The hand over his shoulder blade clawed dark purple nails into his skin, urging him to go harder, deeper. He straightened up again and watched her writhe, plump lips parted to let passed breathless moans and cries. Mason held her by her waist, his thumbs digging under the bottom of her ribcage while his fingers curled to the flanks of her back, keeping her body arched.

"Mason," she moaned, taking one of his hands and guiding it up her body. She loosened her grip when he reached her throat, and Mason's cock twitched inside her.

"You into that shit, kitten?" he asked lowly, and she nodded desperately, the movement limited with his thumb under her jaw. Then a flash of a memory, his hand around some poor fucker's neck. Someone who didn't ask for it, someone who certainly wasn't enjoying it, but it's what the boss wanted.

Mason slid his hand to the side of her neck and leaned down to kiss the base of her throat. "Maybe some other time." Usually he could shrug off the memory flashes, but when they happened with Mae... that didn't sit right with him.

"So this'll happen again?"

The uncertainty in her voice was cute. "If that's what you want." 

"Is it what _you_ want?"

He smiled against her neck and snapped his hips to get another cry out of her. "More than anything, kitten."  _Shit, did I really say that? Fuckin' pathetic._

"Me too," she admitted, bringing him into another kiss.

_Comin' from her, though..._

She glanced towards the window for the third time, eyelids fluttering. An idea striking him, Mason lifted her up so she was straddling him, and her cheek rested against his shoulder, head turned towards the view. Mason heard a heavy breath sigh out of her, and with a smile he bucked into her, again and again until she was coming around him. He fucked her through it, let her pulsing cunt bring him to his own end. He pulled out at the last moment, coming against the swell of her ass before lowering her back down to the mattress. She pulled him down on top of her, and he tucked his head under her chin. Her legs cradled his torso as her fingers ran through his hair, and the moment made a strange feeling cloud in his chest. 

Mason decided not to dwell on it, and instead closed his eyes against the city lights outside his window. He usually closed them before falling asleep, but he'd leave them open for Mae. 

 

* * *

 

"Kitten? Hey, Mae." 

She stretched languidly and groaned, not bothering to open her eyes.

"I gotta go, angel. Needa take care of somethin'."

That roused her, and her eyes fluttered open to see a fully dressed Mason hovering in view, hand resting gently on her back. "Wha...? Oh! I can, uh, I can drive you." She started to push herself up, but he motioned for her to settle back down. 

"No worries, I got a buddy pickin' me up."

Worry flooded her gut. "Should I leave?"

"Nah, stay as long as you want. With hours like yours, morning's probably the only time you can really catch some sleep. I'll keep the curtain's closed for you, and help yourself to anything in the kitchen when you wake up again. I'll see ya later."

Mae lowered herself back down. "'Kay. See ya." He flashed her a smile as he walked away, and before Mae knew it she was calling out. "What do you have to take care of?"

A long pause, then he answered, "You ain't gotta worry about it. Get some sleep, kitten." The sound of his footsteps, then the door opening and closing.

Mae knew who Madrigal really was - Conrad had told her after they’d gotten to know each other, and Finn had confirmed it. The bruiser of one of the most powerful crime lords in Boston had to have murder in the job description.

She started to wonder how many people he’d killed, what his methods were, if he had any sort of moral code, but she soon shooed the thoughts away and fell into an uneasy sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Mae woke up again around 1pm, slowly and comfortably. She slid out of bed and flicked the switch for the curtains, and a slow smile spread on her face as they were pulled back by the silent track above. The sun bathed the apartment in light, and with a pep in her step she wandered over to the stereo and flipped through the stations until she found a song she liked. 

_"I want you, boy, just to please me_

_Don't tell me that you could_

_Don't tell me that you could~"_

Her smile blew out to a full on grin, and after cranking the volume up and retrieving her phone from her purse on the floor she all but skipped to the kitchen to find a coffee maker. An impressively high-tech one was waiting for her on the island, and Mae found the coffee grounds in one of the cabinets. She had to climb onto the counter to reach, but the rest of the short process was smooth sailing. Once it started brewing, she checked her messages while dancing to the music.  
   
_**Message from:** Reporter W._

 _Need some info. Meet c.s?_  
  
_**Message from:** Magnolia_

 _Saw you leave with that tall glass of whiskey. Details will be expected tonight, honey lamb._  
  
_**Message from:** S_

_New equip. acquired. Tell me when you want to drop by to check it out._

_**Message from:** Finn_

_Wanna talk to you - it's kinda important. Find me later, okay?_  
  
_**Message from:** Mason_

 _Programmed my number in. Call if you need anything. By the way, if you're wondering how I got passed you password: fingerprints. You gotta swipe your sleeve over the screen from time to time. Just a friendly tip._  
   
Mae's brows furrowed, and she lifted her phone to level it with her eyes, then tilted it to see smudge marks on certain points of the screen. "Sneaky, sneaky," she mumbled to herself.

Something caught her eye on the ceiling in the corner, and her stomach lurched.

 

* * *

 

"So you gonna tell me about whoever made you late?"

Mason spared Conrad a glance before the door clicked, and he swung it open. "Ain't much to tell ya."

"Yeah? Usually there's a fuck ton to brag about. Was this one a bad lay or somethin'?"

"Ain't that."

"... Oooh, okay. Is this one 'different'?"

Mason kicked the bedroom door open, and the small man inside jumped in surprise. "Wh-who are you?! What are you doing in my home?!" he exclaimed, and Mason reached a gloved hand into his waistband to pull out his silenced pistol.

"Sit down," he ordered, waving the barrel towards the bed. The target did as he said, stumbling over the carpet on his way. "You document your scams?"

"What? I don't-- I don't know what--"

"Ah, fuck off," Mason sighed. "Don't try that shit with us, all right? This'll go a lot smoother if you just speak the truth."

The man's eyes darted between Mason and Conrad, his body wracked with the shakes and the blood gone from his face. "It's... I keep everything on my computer. It's all there. Go ahead and check, I promise you--"

Mason aimed his gun at the man's chest. "I believe you." He pulled the trigger twice to send the bullets straight into the man's heart - headshots were too messy.

"Ah, come on," Conrad whined, sitting down in front of the computer. "You couldn't have him fork over the passcode first? It's a bitch to hack through."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Mason grumbled. "Just get to work." His phone buzzed in his chest pocket, and after sliding it out he smiled at the name before answering. "Hey kitten. Everything—?“

 _"You didn't tell me you have cameras set up."_ she cut off. 

He blinked. "Uh... yeah, for security's sake. Can't be too careful nowadays."

_"Do you have easy access to the tapes?"_

"They're my cameras, so yeah." He paused, and the silence allowed him to hear the music in the background. "You're not worried, are ya? 'Cause of last night?"

_"It's just that... some of my girls have had tapes pop up of them on the internet."_

He leaned against the wall. ”Mae, c'mon, you know I ain't like that."

_"No, I don't. I don't know you at all."_

"All right, all right. If it makes you feel any better, you can get to the tapes on my computer and erase the footage. The passcode's--"

 _"Don't bother."_ A few clicks from the keyboard, followed by the sound of his computer's greeting sound.

Mason shifted his weight, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Did you just hack into my computer?"

_"And you taped me last night without my permission, neither of us is a saint here."_

"Well after last night, I wasn't thinkin' we were anyway."

She snorted, then a few more clicks from her end.

"... You find it?"

_"... Uh huh."_

He cocked a brow. "You gonna delete it?"

 _"Uh... yeah. It's uh... it's processing."_ A small pause, then she cleared her throat, and the shredding sound effect sounded. 

"Do me a favor, kitten? Press the button on the left side of the monitor for me."

_"Um, okay... wait, what just happened?"_

"You're locked out now - ain't gonna be able to hack through that. Don't want you snoopin' on the rest of the tapes."

_"Why, there more girls on here?"_

"Course there is."

_"Honest. I like it."_

He heard the computer's startup chime. "Wait, did you...?"

_"Do you wanna kick me out now?"_

"I feel like I should."

 _"No worries, I'm already gone."_  Car keys jingled, and Mason pushed off the wall.

"Wait, wait. You can't go walkin' out in broad daylight in lingerie. Gimme an hour and I'll swing by. I'll buy you a dress or somethin' on my way."

_"No need, I'm wearing one of your shirts as one right now. It'll do until I get home to change."_

"... Which shirt?"

_"The white dress shirt. Really nice fabric. Hopefully people will think it's just an edgy look."_

"You had to pick that one? That's the only dress shirt I got."

 _"Well now you have none. Buy a new one with the cash you were gonna spend on that dress."_  With that, she hung up.

 Mason pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen with a slight disbelieving smile.

“You said Mae?”

He looked up at Conrad. “Uh… yeah. One of the dancers.”

His expression hardened, and he dug out a usb from his pocket. “You stay away from ‘er, all right? Make this one of your one nighters or something. Madrigal doesn’t like any of us fuckin’ with his girls outside of work.”

“Weird hearin’ that from you, considering you haven’t followed that rule yourself.”

“Fuck anyone you want, just not Mae.” He attached the usb and started the download.

Mason shifted his weight, brows furrowed. “And why the fuck not? You got your eye on ‘er or somethin’?”

“It ain’t like that.”

“Right, you got pretty boy. You fuck ‘er already?”

“No—”

“Then what’s the problem?” His phone buzzed in his hand, and he opened a message from Mae. 

_Hopefully I look good enough to redeem my thievery._

The words captioned a photo of her in her car, wearing Mason's shirt with the sleeves rolled up and half-rimmed sunglasses. The mauve lipstick that had been smudged on her lips when he left was replaced by a subtle pink gloss. Not the sort of photo he was used to getting, but it was definitely appreciated.

He texted back, _Maybe. How 'bout you model it for me tonight? I'll decide then._

The response was almost immediate:  _Deal._

"Yo!" A sharp whistle.

Mason jerked his head up. "Huh?"

Conrad removed the usb. “Just drop ‘er, okay? She’s one of the boss’s favorites. He’d be pissed if he found out.”

“Nah, nah, nah, this ain’t about the boss’s ‘don’t fuck my showgirls’ rule, there’s somethin’ else.”

Conrad hesitated. “… She’s a friend. I know how you work, and I don’t want you gettin’ into her head, makin’ her think this is somethin’ more than it is until you get bored.”

Mason’s brows furrowed. “A friend? What d’you mean?”

“The fuck do you mean ‘what do I mean’? A friend. You know what a friend is, right?”

“How’d you end up befriendin’ one of the dancers?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just… help me clean up.”

He slid his phone back into his pocket. “Fine. But I ain’t droppin’ her.”

“C’mon, man, there’s tons of girls like her.”

He scoffed. “You really believe that?”

“Fuck no.”

 

* * *

 

Mae sat across from Piper and ordered an iced coffee when the traveling barista greeted her.

"Good to see you in one piece, Maeday," Piper smiled. 

"Not like what I'm doing is that dangerous," Mae responded. "What d'you need?"

"You heard about the mayoral scandal, right? I want in on his e-mails."

"Oh, Piper," Mae sighed, shrugging off her jacket. "Doesn't matter how discrete I am, if you make an article about what's in them they're gonna come after you."

"No, no, I planned this out. I'll publish it anonymously, and I'll say that they were leaked by someone on the inside." She cleared her throat and straightened up when the barista returned with Mae's drink. "So? Will you do it?"

Mae traced the rim of her glass with her middle finger. "... It'll cost you. A lot."

"Name your price."

"Four grand."

She choked on her own spit. "Oh, c'mon!"

"You do know what you're asking for, right?"

"Yeah, but..." She trailed into sputters, and Mae took a purposely noisy sip of coffee. "... Fine. Half up front, half after the job's done?"

"Sounds good."

"What if there's nothing incriminating and I don't go through with the article?"

"I'll drop the price to just a grand."

Piper smiled then, bright and excited, and stuck her hand out. Mae took it in hers for a firm shake. "I appreciate it, Maeday. What you do."

"I know, Pipes. But it's nice to hear it once in a while."

 

* * *

 

Mason saw Mae arrive around 8pm, during Magnolia's set, and she was stopped four times on her way backstage by different patrons. She spared Mason a suggestive glance before disappearing.

Mason waited eagerly for her set to begin, and when it did, he straightened up just a bit more against the wall. She was solo this time, utilizing several neon hoops set onstage. It was amazing how hushed the crowd would become whenever Mae preformed, the only time they grew louder being when they cheered for an especially impressive maneuver. With the lights dimmed and the hoops glowing bright neon colors, spinning around her as she danced to the blaring music, it almost seemed like she was an illusionist. 

After her set was finished, she moved on with the other girls to the usual socializing that earned them half their pay. But then a slow song played from the speakers - a rare occurrence - and Mae joined Finn in a dance. They talked throughout the song, and Mason could see Mae's face was twisted in confusion. Then the dancer took Finn's face in her hands, pulled him down...

And kissed him. 

The burn of this certain kind of anger in Mason's chest was unfamiliar. He never cared before when he saw someone he fucked with someone else - either because it was just a one nighter, or because it didn't mean he couldn't fuck them anymore. But seeing Mae kiss another man roused some territorial part of him that he didn't know if he was okay with. It wasn't like she was his, she could be with whoever she wanted, but...

He didn't really know. He was never good with feelings and words, even in his own head. All he knew was that he was pissed off.

The song ended, and Finn left. Strange, considering his shift wasn't supposed to end until the club closed for the night. But he didn't read too much into it. For the rest of the night Mason exchanged heated glances with Mae, a silent reassurance that they were still on for later. The silent communication ended when she left around 2am.

Mason was practically thrumming with anticipation - Madrigal was bound to dismiss him soon. Maybe right after he finished talking with the thug sitting at the table. Mason looked their way, and Madrigal's glance at him had his next heart beat pulsing anxiety through him. That look never meant anything good.

 

* * *

 

Mae stopped at her apartment first to get a quick shower, giving Mason time to get to his place first to let her in. On the drive to his apartment, she replayed her time with Finn in her head.

_"Hey princess," he had greeted warmly, and with a smile she took the hand that he offered her. She knew the song playing - it was one of her favorites._

"Ten out of ten, you killed it once again, 'cause you're doin' fine~"

_"Did you request this song?" she asked him as they began to sway, some of the patrons joining in around them._

_"I know how much you like it, so..." He glanced away, and Mae's smile faltered. She'd gotten to know Finn over the years she's been working at Madrigal's, and she could tell when something was up._

_"What's going on? You okay?"_

_"I, uh... I might have to go away for a while. Or longer."_

_"What? Why?"_

_"I got myself into some shit. You ain't gotta worry, I'll be fine. But... I just thought I'd give you a heads up. Didn't wanna alarm you or nothin' when you notice I ain't around no more."_

_"You're scaring me."_

_His eyes widened, and he met her gaze. "No no, no! you ain't gotta be, okay? Everything's fine. But I gotta disappear. And I just..." He averted his eyes again, but quickly met hers again. "I love you, y'know?"_

_Her heartbeat echoed through her entire body. "Finn..."_

_"I know you don't feel the same. I know. And I'm fine with it. I just... wanted to tell ya before I scram."_

_She didn't want him to see the tears shining in her eyes, so she tugged him down into a kiss, her throat aching. He held her gently, and his hand glided up between her shoulder blades to settle in her hair. Mae saw the lights dip behind her eyelids with the music._

_"Fuck, I'm gonna miss you," Finn had said against her lips._

_"We can keep in touch."_

_"No... No, I don't think so. I don't want you to worry about me, okay? I know you're the type." She nodded, and he held her closer as they danced for the rest of the song in silence. When the music faded out, he took her hands in his. "You take care, princess."_

_"I'll miss you, too," she blurted. "Okay? I'll really fuckin' miss you."_

_He smiled, the tip of his tongue swiping over a canine tooth. "You're lucky I'm too tough to cry."_

_She sobbed out a laugh and watched him walk away. Another one of Madrigal's lackeys joined him just outside, right before the doors closed._

 

Mae really did love Finn, just not in the way he loved her. No matter what he told her, she was still worried. He always had trouble meeting her eyes when he lied. 

 _You can just ask Mason,_ she told herself.  _He'll probably know what's up._

 

when Mae arrived to Mason's apartment, the door was locked and he didn't answer her knocks. Her phone rang, and she hated how nervous she sounded when she answered. "Hey."

_"Hey, kitten. Listen,"_

_Shit._

_"I ain't gonna be able to make it tonight. Something came up with work."_

"... Oh."

_"Don't be upset, okay?"_

"Don't flatter yourself, you weren't that great. I'm not about to get sad over missing it again."

A scoff on Mason's end. _"Yeah? Those pretty little noises I fucked outta you have me doubtin' that."_

She sighed. "Sorry. That was just an automated response to being stood up."

_"Hey, that ain't what's happenin'. I really do have to work."_

"Yeah, all right..." She pulled the phone away from her ear mid sentence, feeling it vibrate from an incoming text.  
  
_**Message from:** S_

 _XXX!!! - --- > ASAP_  
   
Her stomach flooded with nausea, and she crushed the receiver to her ear. "Mason, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

_"Now hold on a sec--"_

She hung up right before powering her phone down and removing the SD card, crushing it under her heel before speed walking to the elevator.

 

* * *

 

Mason pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it with furrowed brows.

“What did I fuckin’ tell you, Mason,” Conrad said, glancing away from the road.

“You can’t police my sex life, all right, so stop tryin’.” He tried for another call and got nothing. "Dammit."

“… S’wrong?”

“She hung up all of a sudden. Now I ain't even gettin' a ring.”

Conrad opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when a cracking noise came from the trunk. "Fuck," he grumbled, leaning out of his window. "I think he kicked out one of the tail lights."

“You wanna pull over and I’ll check it out?”

"Nah, just a couple minutes from the site anyway.”

"Fine... Hey, you know how close Finn is to 'er?"

"Why you askin'?"

"Saw them kiss during that slow song."

"They have drinks together when Mae's making rounds on the floor, but that's it. Far as I know. They're good friends."

"Did you see 'im bounce out early?"

Conrad's brows furrowed. "Nah. He left before closing? That ain't his usual schedule."

"That's what I thought." He shifted in his seat. "... I'm sure it's nothin'."


	3. Chapter 3

Mae let herself into Six's apartment and was greeted warmly by the humidity given off by all the computers and laptops. 

"Your cell was bugged," Six called from another room just before appearing down the corridor. "I received an alert, but it was delayed."

"Bugged?" Mae repeated with furrowed brows. "Why would anyone bug me? If they know what I do, they should know that I'm not stupid enough to talk or text about anything important."

"But there's still a chance that they could learn your whereabouts, maybe even hack into your GPS. When was your phone out of sight last?"

"Work. I left it backstage..." She crossed her arms and slowly paced. "... No chance it was one of my girls."

"We can't rule them out."

"Yes we can."

"No. You can't. That would be stupid. You're not stupid, remember?"

She closed her eyes and sighed. "... But it is possible that someone snuck in while we were chatting up the crowd."

"Do you have your cell?"

"Right here. Crushed the SD card."

"Good." He took the phone and strode to his main computer. "I'll do some digging, see if there's any known collectives or individuals who are known to use this type of bug." He detached the back panel. "Any jobs in progress?"

"Yeah. Pretty big one right now."

"Tell me."

"Reporter asked me to hack into the mayor's emails."

"Considering there's someone who's onto you already, you need to be careful with this. Go through with the job here - my computers are more secure. I'm assuming this would take time even without the added caution. Take off tomorrow and crash here. I want you to stay low anyway."

She slumped down in one of the chairs. "You my handler now?"

"I've been your 'handler' since you first asked for my help. Where have you been since you left Madrigal's?"

"Not home..."

"But somewhere."

"Went to a guy's apartment." A realization hit her, and she lashed her hands up in a squeezing gesture. "Shit, I left the SD card outside his fucking _door_." He blinked at her. Or, she assumed he did. His shades were covering his eyes. His place being so dark, Mae wondered why he even wore them. "Your unnecessary exclamation points spooked me, okay? I was more concerned about getting to you. I'll go and collect the pieces."

"No. By the time you get there it'll be gone. Most likely cleaned up by the complex's maid service." He rubbed his hand over his mouth, thinking. "... Go get some sleep. I'll wake you up early so you can start the job. I hope you're charging accordingly."

"Four grand, half up front."

He gave her a rare smile. "Good."

That was high praise coming from Six. "So if you're my handler, are you gonna set me up with a new phone?"

He opened a drawer and tossed a sleek black cell phone to her - one copy among the several inside. "I'll set you up with a pistol as well. Can't be too careful."

"I don't know how to use a gun."

"Then you better start learning."  
 

* * *

   
Mason finally got home at 5am, so tired he almost missed the pieces of plastic in front of his door. He knelt down and spread them on the carpet.  _Memory card?_ After a moment of thinking and putting two and two together, he swept the pieces into his palm.  _She really so pissed she trashed her SD?_

Mason unlocked his door and headed inside. He stripped on his way to the bed and flopped down heavily.  _I'll talk to 'er tomorrow._  
   
 

  
His plan was ultimately ruined when she didn't show up. Now he was starting to get worried.

He scoffed at himself. _Really, man? She ain't nothin' more than a good lay._

It made him wince to even think that.  _That ain't true. I... like 'er._

_Barely know her._

_That little detail doesn't change much, does it._

He called one of the traveling waitresses over and ordered a beer, but before letting her go he quietly asked, "Know where Mae is?"

Her brows furrowed, but she smiled. "She called in sick today."

He shifted his weight. "... All right." He let her go, and when she returned with his drink he questioned, "There ain't a way I can get you to tell me her address, is there?"

"I don't think that's--"

"Someone's callin' you, honey," Magnolia interrupted, putting a hand on the waitress's shoulder. "Get a move on." When the girl did as she said, Magnolia ran a hand up Mason's bicep, making it look like she was treating him like one of the patrons. It happens from time to time, wouldn't make Madrigal raise a brow. "You're the hunk who left with Mae the other night. Y'know, I can give you a good time, too." She pulled a slip of paper and a pen from a band on her thigh and started scribbling. "Want you to give me a call." 

Mason was about to protest, but shut up when he saw what she had written down. An address with Mae's name underlined over it. "Uh... sure. Will do."

She shot him a wink, then turned her back to him and sauntered away.  
 

* * *

   
Mae squeaked when a boot gently kicked her back.

"Straighten up," Six ordered. "You'll get back problems before you're 30 if you keep slouching like that. And you shouldn't sit so close to the screen."

"Yeah, whatever." She turned back to the monitor. "I'm almost through. You get anything on that bug?"

"It's favored, but not by anyone specific. I'll keep looking."

"Don't bother, you probably won't turn anything up."

Six leaned down to examine her screen, then smacked her hands away from the keyboard to take over. "I'm switching you to another server."

"That'll make this even longer."

"Better to be safe than sorry."

Mae groaned and slumped onto her back, the cool flooring seeping through her cropped shirt. "Ever think of turning the lights on in here?"

"No. Besides, think on what I'm saving on electricity."

She cocked a brow at the ceiling. "Was that a joke? From you? Are you feeling okay, Six?"

"Well I'm a bit irritable, considering I've never had to spend this much time with you before."

"Ouch."

She felt him slap her knee before he stood. "There. Get to work."

"Yessir." She sat up to do as he said, and Mason popped into her mind again.  _I'd give 'im a call if I knew his number by heart. Wish I hadn't been so hasty to crush the card. Could've transferred it._

_I kinda... miss him. Is that weird? No, it's not weird. Well... it's a little weird. We've known each other for, what... a couple days? And the only time we've spent together consisted of fucking._

_Stop thinking about it and focus. You can't screw this up._  
 

* * *

   
Mason gently knocked on Mae's door, hoping she wouldn't be pissed he was coming by at 1am. After a few moments of silence went by, he knocked louder. "Mae?"

Nothing. He considered picking the lock, but he didn't want to come off as creepy. He was already a good deal closer to that by showing up at her door uninvited, and without getting her address directly from her. 

_Maybe she just took the day off to have some fun. Don't be so fuckin' clingy. Go home, man._

Reluctantly, Mason turned on his heels and left.  
 

* * *

   
"Oh my god," Piper giggled, scrolling through the emails Mae had saved onto a blank laptop. "This is... definitely worth four grand. You'll get the second half right away."

"You be careful with that info, Piper," Mae stressed, shrugging her jacket back on. "Oh, by the way, I got a new phone. Here's the number."

"Thanks. You heading to work now?"

"Uh huh. Listen, keep me off your radar for a couple days, okay?"

Her brows furrowed. "Yeah, sure. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. But after a job like this, I need to lay low for a bit."

"Understandable. Stay safe, Maeday."

"You too."  
 

 

The faint buzz of anxiety inside her was eased as soon as she saw Mason in his usual spot. Making her way to backstage she kept her gaze on his, almost smiling at the look on his face. Then Madrigal waved her over, and she put on a dazzling grin.

"Evening, boss," she greeted, sitting in his lap when he reached an arm out.

"Mae, my girl, we missed you last night," he told her, resting a hand on her thigh.

"Not the same without me, is it."

Madrigal chuckled. "No, it certainly isn't. You're feeling better?"

"Much. No worries there."

"Good, good. Now get to work." He smacked her ass and she forced a giggle as she stood. She shot Mason a sidelong glance, then headed for the restroom when Madrigal wasn't looking. Sure enough, a minute later Mason slid inside before locking the door.

"I'm not ignoring you," Mae blurted. "I mean, if you tried to call me after I hung up. It's not because I'm ignoring you."

"Yeah, I found your card outside my door."

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Fuck. I was hoping the cleaners would get it."

"Feel like tellin' me why you stomped it into the floor?"

"No. But here's my new number."

He took the slip of paper from her. "So. You were sick, huh?"

"Actually, I went phone shopping."

"Phone shopping."

"Mhm." She pressed her back against the door as he moved closer. 

"Must've taken a while to find one you like, considering you weren't home at one in the morning."

Her brows jumped. "And how do you know that?"

"Stopped by 'cause I wanted to clear things up."

"Where'd you get my address?"

"Magnolia gave it to me."

"Maybe I was home but just ignoring you."

"Were you?"

"No." She gripped the back of his neck and pulled him down into a kiss that she had been tempted to capture him in since the moment he started leaning closer. His hand lifted to cup her cheek while his other gripped her waist. The kiss consumed her, and she barely noticed he was tugging her shorts down until they were passed her knees.

"My set's starting soon, I should..." She trailed off when he kissed her neck, her shoulder. "Should really go..." He caught her in another kiss. "I should..."

"Yeah?" he said, smiling against the corner of her jaw as he took himself out of his pants. "Tell me more." He lifted her up and hooked her legs over his arms so her thighs were pinned to her sides.

She was about to exactly that, but one look in his eyes and the will to argue was gone. She took his face in her hands and kissed him, and he shoved himself inside her, wrenching a cry from her throat. He didn't waste any time, started pistoning into her, the momentum violently rattling the door.

"Holy _shit_ ," Mae choked out, grasping desperately at his shoulders and screwing her eyes shut so they didn't cross. She could only manage spasming breaths as he fucked her relentlessly, the pleasure nearly incessant, his cock somehow hitting that sweet spot inside her with every single thrust.

Mae couldn't comprehend how much time had passed before he stretched her leg out against his chest, her heel against his shoulder, and circled two fingers against her clit. A cry escaped her and she came so hard her thighs and ass seized painfully.

"Fuck, _fuck_ ," Mason growled, pounding his fist against the door before pulling out. Mae could just barely register the feel of his cum spurting against the swell of her ass.

"Mmmm," she hummed as he lowered her to her feet, and she leaned against his chest. "You bastard. How am I supposed to preform now?"

"Amazingly, as always." He yanked her shorts back up. "How about we go back to my place later so I can make up for the other night?"

"Didn't you just?"

"That was too quick. Wanna take my time with you."

"Was it quick? I lost track of time."

"I'll take that as a compliment." He unlocked the door. "Find a way backstage that won't let Madrigal see you."

"Easy. I can be sneaky when I need to."  
 

* * *

   
Mason was tense with impatience for the next 6 hours, right up until he spotted Mae leaving. Madrigal dismissed him five minutes later, and it took all he had not to run to the parking lot. She was waiting for him by her car.

"Mind if I drive this time?" she asked, already rounding the car to the driver's side.

"Sure." He tried for the door to find it locked, and he let out an exaggerated groan until Mae unlocked it with a snicker. "I fuckin' swear, every time I tug on a car door and it doesn't open, a year is taken off my life." Mae laughed then, full and strong, and it quickly became Mason's favorite sound.

Mae drove out of the parking lot, and for the short drive they talked about nothing in particular, just anything that came to mind. To Mason's surprise, he enjoyed it, and his eagerness to get Mae into his bed again was calmed until they reached the complex. He draped his arm around Mae's shoulders as they headed up to his floor, and Mason fumbled with the keys for a moment before unlocking the door and swinging it open. Mae walked in first and put her purse down on the kitchen's island.

It tipped over, and they both froze when a gun clattered out.


	4. Chapter 4

Mae was too slow, and in the blink of an eye Mason was aiming the Beretta at her head. She lashed her hands palm-side up and took a step back. "Woah, okay."

"Sorry, kitten," he told her. "Can't be too careful."

"No, it's good to establish that there's some mistrust between this."

"Well, y'know. Beautiful woman schmoozes her way into a man's life then surprises him with a gun to his face. It's happened before."

"Yeah, I think I've seen it in a movie or two."

His jaw clenched as he readjusted his grip, then he shook his head and turned on his heels. "The fuck am I doin'."

Impulsively Mae kicked her leg up and knocked the pistol into the air, clumsily catching it as it flew above her. "Woah!" she breathed. "That worked?! Guess things in movies do actually happen." 

"That fuckin' hurt," Mason grumbled, kneading his fingers as Mae unloaded the pistol.

"You know what else hurts? A fucking _bullet_."

"If I was gonna shoot you I would've already, all right, I don't hesitate." He winced.

Mae took in a hitching breath, and Mason's eyes darted up from his hand. "Okay, that's another thing learned," Mae sighed, starting to pace. "That's... a really big thing learned." _Not that I didn’t already suspect it…_ A few silent moments passed. "Don't look at me like that."

"I'm lookin' at you like I always do."

"No you're not, you're doing it... carefully. Gauging my reaction. You're too still, you're holding your breath. I don't like it."

"That's... perceptive."

"Gotta be, with what I do." She stopped pacing. "God _dammit_."

"Okay, let's just chill for a second. Lotta things spillin' out right now."

Mae took in a deep, slow breath, loosening the tightness in her chest. "Okay."

Mason leaned his hip against the counter and crossed her arms. "... What're you doin' with a gun."

She hoisted herself onto the island. "It's for protection."

"From?"

"Bad people."

"It registered?"

"Don't know. Friend gave it to me."

"This friend shady?"

"The shadiest."

"'Kay, so it probably isn't." He scrubbed at his chin. "... You even know how to use it?"

"I know the basics."

"Basics being...?"

She picked up the gun. "This is the trigger, and I'm pretty sure that's the safety." She smiled when Mason chuckled. Then he started to watch her again, and Mae tried not to squirm.

Mason pushed off the counter. "Mae, if there's someone or something you're scared of, you can talk to me. You shouldn't be walkin' around with an unregistered Beretta loose in your bag."

"What, you gonna follow me around and be my protector?"

"I got contacts, I can have people keep an eye on you. Or you can tell me exactly who it is and I'll take care of them."

She tucked her ankle underneath her thigh. "Why go through the trouble for me? 'Cause I'm fun to fuck?"

"It's... partly that."

 _Good. Honesty's good._  "And what's the other part?"

"I... kinda like you. A little."

She smiled, scrunching her nose. "Aaaw. I kinda like you, too."

"So..." He stepped closer, bracing his hands on the edge of the island on either side of Mae. " _Is_ there someone you're scared of?"

"You mean you? After you waved a gun in my face?"

"Didn't at first, but..."  He glanced away, then back at her.

With a sigh through her nose she reached up and gripped the back of his neck, kneading the residual tension away. "... Should I be?"

"Nah. Not you."

She suddenly felt exhausted, and with another sigh she pulled him closer to rest her head against his chest. Mason threaded his fingers through her hair.

"Let's get you to bed."

"No offense, big guy, but I'm not exactly in the mood anymore."

"So just sleep." He took her stilettos off and tossed them over his shoulders before sliding her off the island to carry her towards the bed.

"You're not gonna kick me out?"

"Nah. Not you." He gently laid her down. "Plus that would be a dick move, aiming your own gun at you than kicking you out 'cause you wouldn't let me fuck you."

"Mm. Guess so." She unclasped her bra and shimmied out of her shorts, then burrowed under the sheets. Mason stripped off his jacket and clothes to flop down next to her. They stared at each other for a moment, both laying on their sides.

"... Do you like killing?" Mae asked quietly.

"I'm used to it. But I don't do it often."

"Do you regret any of them?"

"I don't really think about it anymore."

"Was it all for Madrigal?"

He nodded.

Mae brushed her fingers over his chest. "... Do you know where Finn went?"

His brows furrowed. "No. He didn't tell you anything?"

"No. He just warned me that he was gonna disappear, then did just that. Told me not to worry, but it's hard when it's your friend."

"... Sometimes people in my business break. They can't take it anymore, so they bounce. That's probably what he did."

"He said he got himself into trouble."

"So he probably left to start fresh. You really shouldn't worry, kitten."

Mae let the conversation end there. They ended up talking for a while longer, about nothing in particular. She found talking with him to be easy, despite not having known him for too long. It usually took Mae a while to be a comfortable conversationalist, always worried that the stranger she was speaking to would mind her babbling and abrupt change of subjects. But for some reason, it wasn't like that with Mason.

It felt good, finding someone that she could click with right away. She didn't know if Mason felt the same way, but she let herself believe that he did.

 

* * *

  
Mason was woken up by Mae's ass wiggling against his cock, and without opening his eyes he sleepily rolled them over, pulling Mae to her knees. A knee-jerk reaction, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Good morning," she murmured, smile audible in her voice. Mason hummed groggily against the crook of her neck and somehow lined himself up in the haze of still being half asleep. He pushed inside her, and his head swam from the sudden feeling of Mae wrapped around him. He put his entire body into sluggish thrusts, forehead hitting the pillow with every sway forward. 

Mae's quiet sighs and hums roused him little by little, trickling energy into him until he finally straightened up to grip the headboard with both hands. He kept his pace slow but he went deeper, lifting Mae's knees off the bed with every thrust forward. Mae buried her face in the pillow to muffle a near guttural moan.

"Uh uh," Mason chided, wrapping her hair around his fist and tugging. "Wanna hear you."

One of the things he liked about Mae was that the noises she made were completely real. She didn't try too hard to sound sexy, moaning and crying out like she was in some porno, didn't emphasize anything to try and goad him and turn him on more. 

She whimpered and rocked back against him. " _Mason_."

"If that ain't the prettiest fuckin' sound." He sped up, using Mae's hair as a rein, and she gave just as much as Mason was, bracing a hand on the headboard and meeting his thrusts with such enthusiasm that he was almost bucked off. 

After Mae came she collapsed onto the mattress, and Mason huffed out a laugh as he followed her down to stay inside her. "C'mon, kitten, you couldn't stay up for me?"

She responded with a lazy smile, and Mason changed his angle - tight, fast rolls of his hips that had Mae gasping. He pulled out at the last moment to come on the small of her back, getting a hum of approval from her. "You like that, kitten? Being covered in cum?" Her eyelids fluttered, and he nodded. "Good to know." He lifted himself off of her and finally noticed the clouds outside, dark and bloated.

"Hope it rains soon," Mae said, arms tucked under the pillow.

"You like rain, huh?"

She nodded, eyes scanning the window. "Mind if I use your shower?"

"Nah, feel free."

She stretched languidly before rolling out of bed to head for the bathroom. Once Mason heard the shower start he got up and yanked on his jeans before padding over to the kitchen. He filled the coffee maker and flipped it on before fishing his cell out of his pocket.  
   
**_3 Missed Calls from:_** Boss Man  
   
Anxiety started to buzz through him, and he pressed the notification to call him back.

Madrigal answered on the third ring. _"Mason."_

"Sorry, boss," he said immediately. "My phone was on silent. Is there something you need? I thought you were heading out of the city with Conrad."

_"I am, yes. But I wanted to clear something up. One of my little birdies told me they saw you leave with that dancer. Mae."_

Mason winced. "Yes sir.”

_"You know I don't like any of my men dating my girls. Don't you?"_

"We aren't dating. Sir."  _Right? That ain't what this is._ “Besides, I was just walkin’ her to her car.”

_“That’s not what was reported.”_

“Who ya gonna trust, some ‘little birdie’, or me.”

A long pause. _“You know that, in our business, anyone you get close to is put at risk. I don't want any of my girls to end up hurt or dead because you couldn't keep it in your pants. They make me good money, especially Mae. I can’t say for sure what happened, but if it was something more than just walking her to her car, I want it cut off."_

He rubbed at his forehead. “Sure, boss.”

Another pause. _"... All right. That was all."_

"Got it. Enjoy the trip out of the city."

_"I plan to. You have fun on your day off."_

"Thank you, sir." Mason waited for Madrigal to hang up before doing so himself, then he sighed heavily towards the ceiling. "Fuuuuuck."

"Mason?" 

He jerked around to see Mae walking towards him, freshly showered and wrapped in a towel. "Kitten."

"Your shower's confusing as all hell.”

"Yeah, I had the same problem when I moved in." He looked at his phone in his hand. "Uh..."  _Done this time and time before, just do it again._  "Listen, you should..."

"... Go?"

His eyes fluttered closed for a moment. "Yeah. I think... I think we outta stop this."

"Yeah? Suddenly I'm not so fun anymore?"

"It ain't that. I promise it ain't that."

"Then what is it."

"Don't wanna say 'cause I know you'll argue with me." He held his breath in the small silence before Mae spoke.

"Can you do me a favor and run down to my car to get the clothes in my trunk? Can't go anywhere like this."

"Right. Sure." He turned without meeting her eyes again and couldn't get out fast enough. He took a breath through his nose and raked his fingers through the roots of his hair.  _Fuck, why’d that hurt to say?_

Movement in peripheral view caught his attention, and he turned his head to see a man lurking in the corridor, the hood of his black sweatshirt concealing his head. "Yo," Mason called. "Can I help you, man?"

He glanced quickly at Mason to flash a smile, then gestured to a neighbor's door. "Just waiting for someone to come home."

"Yeah? Well you can wait in the lobby."

"Got a text just a couple seconds ago. They're comin' up."

Mason stared at him for a moment, then fished his keys out of his pocket and locked the door behind him before heading down.  
 

* * *

  
Mae was glad she didn't go through with asking Mason to spend the day with her. It would've been embarrassing, proposing on spending more time together to only be shut down and told he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. 

He came back, and she snatched her bag from him. "Thanks."

"Mae--"

"I'll be quick." She found her long beige sweatshirt and decided it would suffice, yanking it on and grabbing her Beretta to stuff it into her purse. 

"Mae, wait." Mason closed the door as soon as she opened it. "I swear this ain't happening 'cause I want it to."

"Whatever, it's fine."  _Oh god, am I gonna cry? Pathetic._  "I'll see you around, big guy." She pulled the door with more force and squeezed through.

She felt eyes on her as she hurried down the hall but ignored them, thinking it must have been Mason watching her go. _Bastard._

Inside the elevator she willed the heaviness in her gut to dissipate. Passing through lobby she forced herself to smile at the clerk.

Outside of the complex, a gloved hand slapped over her mouth and an arm trapped both of hers to her sides. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for future ref: since Mae wasn't born in the Institute, her surname was never changed to Sullivan.

Mae's kick was too slow, and her foot hit the car door after it was slammed shut.

"I'm sorry that this is the way we have to conduct this meeting."

She jerked around to see a man beside her, and the driver up front pulled away to merge into traffic. Both men were disguised - scarves over the lower halves of their faces and tinted sunglasses over their eyes. She tried to separate her wrists again, but duct tape wasn't so easily defeated. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Please try and relax. We aren't gonna hurt you. I just wanna talk with you."

"Hard to relax in this situation. I'm sure you can understand."

The stranger went silent for a moment. "... I'll cut you free, but I need you to remain calm. The door is locked, and we're both armed. No sudden movements."

"Got it." Mae twisted in her seat to show him her binds, and in a moment she was cut free. She slowly put her back to the seat and folded her hands on her lap. "So..."

"I'm a representative," the man started. "I'm part of a group of people who want to hire your services."

"Which services?" Her voice jumbled as she lashed her hands out for her purse to grab her phone. She pressed the home button three times rapidly, sighing when it was immediately taken away. "I just wanted to check the time. I got places to be."

"I'm sure you do." He tucked the phone into his chest pocket. "So I'll make this quick. We need you to access the emails and documents of Hector Madrigal."

She crossed her arms. "You do know he's my boss, right?"

"Which is why we suspected you wouldn't take the job."

"And I'm not going to."

"Your pay will be substantial."

"I don't care." She looked out of the back window. "Are we being followed?"

"Just backup."

"For the kidnapping of one girl?"

"We err on the side of caution. Miss Santos, we're prepared to pay you $15,000 for this job."

She made an exaggerated scoff. "That's insulting." She could swear she heard him sigh.

"Then name your price. Money is no object."

 _Gotta drag this out until... something._  "Mmm... a million."

"You know that won't happen."

"Thought you said money's no object."

"Please take this seriously, Miss Santos."

She put on a sugary sweet smile. "Oh, call me Mae. Why do you need this info anyway?"

"That's not your concern. And we were under the impression that you were someone who doesn't ask questions to her clients."

"I do when said clients kidnap me."

"This happens often, then?"

Her brow jumped at the hint of a personality. "Oh, all the time. I'm under very high demand, from many shady people."

"We're well aware. Also, my boss would kick my ass if I didn't extend an apology on picking you up right outside the very place you live--"

"I don't live there," Mae told him with furrowed brows. She heard him take a subtle breath, muffled by the scarf. "Were you the ones that bugged my phone?"

The car came to a stop at a traffic light, and a moment later there was a sudden crack and a sharp spit sound. The driver slumped over sideways, revealing a hole in his temple.

"What the fu--" The negotiator's window shattered and he was cut off by a bullet to his own head, the gunshot much louder this time, and blood splattered onto Mae's face before he fell. Her eyes locked with a man on the sidewalk, pistol in his raised hand, before he was gunned down by the driver in the car behind her.

Her cell phone buzzed in the dead man's pocket beside her, and she numbly tugged it out. "Yeah."

_"Drive away and park in an alley."_

Mae shoved the body from the driver’s seat and took his place.

_"One of my guys will follow you at a distance and take care of them as soon as you clear out. Afterwards, don't go home and don't come here - get to the closest safehouse. Don't call me on this phone again."_

"Six--" He hung up before she could say more. "Dammit!" She floored it, and in the rear view mirror she saw the driver of the car behind her put his hands on the wheel only for blood to spit from his temple. Mae forced her gaze to the road and focused on finding an alley near the closest of the four safehouses that Six had revealed to her. Once she did, she stumbled out of the car and stared at the dead driver.

"Mae?"

She jerked her head to the voice and saw a man approaching, shades hiding his eyes. "Yeah," she mumbled.

"Please give me your phone."

Something in his demeanor compelled her to obey. "You're one of Six's...?"

"Yes. Is there a safehouse nearby you can get to safely?" He pocketed her phone and handed her a new one.

"Yeah, it's--"

"I don't need to know where it is." He reached in for the keys and popped the trunk, then rounded the car and pried some kind of device off of the underside. "You should leave. Now." He tossed the device on the ground and crushed it.

"Right. Thanks." She backed away a few steps, then turned, took off her heels and headed down the alley for the rundown building nearby. She climbed up to the second floor window, every way of entry below boarded up, and jogged up the stairwell to the apartment Six had told her about. The interior was set up comfortably, and was surprisingly well kept for a room in an abandoned complex.

She closed the door, and a man sat up from one of the couches, cigarette between his fingers. “Mae?”

“Wolfgang?” she said in confusion, following it with a quiet sniffle. “What’re you doing here? You’re only a drug dealer.”

He sighed, the heavy breath carrying smoke. “I do some other shit on the side that sometimes requires me to lay low. Why’re you here, little miss ‘always careful’?”

“Well, I uh…” she sniffed again, and her head began to swim. “I didn’t…”

Wolfgang stood up, crushing his cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table before stepping closer with furrowed brows. “Is that blood on your face? Mae...?”

She avoided his eyes, her gaze darting over the carpet, and as she spoke her voice sounded far away. ”I just saw someone die four times. I mean, it wasn't the same guy four times, he didn't come back to life to be shot again and again and again, it was four guys. Four guys, four shots, two quiet, two loud, really loud, echo, echo--"

“Hey, hey, hey,” he took her face in his hands. “Breathe, okay? You’re all right, now. I’m right here. You’re safe.”

It kept replaying in her mind, the gunshots kept echoing and she just wanted them to stop. Right now, right now, right now—

She yanked Wolfgang down into a kiss, and a surprised noise hummed out of him before the hold on her face grew gentler. She let him walk her backwards towards the couch, and he scooped her up to lay her down before draping himself over her.

They’ve done this before a few times, but it was usually against an alleyway wall or in the backseat of the dealer’s car. This almost felt strange, but she’d rather feel a bit off than feel her mind be ripped apart by the needle of her moral compass.

“C’mon,” she urged as he hiked her sweatshirt up with one hand, the other working at his belt. She wrapped her legs around him, and when she felt him line himself up she dug her heels against his ass to hurry him along. He fucked her nice and slow, ducking his head against her shoulder as he rolled against her like the tide. It was good, always was with him, but it didn’t feel… right.

 _It’s not Mason,_ a voice in her mind told her, and she shooed it away immediately, twisting Wolfgang’s shirt in her fists.

“You’re okay, baby,” he told her out the blue. “You’ll be okay.”

Tears that she’d been holding back finally spilled, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. The moans that were sighing out of her mingled with choked sobs and it made her feel pathetic. But Wolfgang just slid an arm under her and held her close.

“That’s it, angel,” he praised, the voice she loved so much spreading a comforting warmth through her. “Let it out. I’ve got you.”

Mae adored Wolfgang and she appreciated the friendship they’ve built, but she couldn’t help but wish that it wasn’t him holding her. Still, she took what he offered and gave in to the uneasy mix of sorrow and pleasure.

 

* * *

 

Mason stabbed his fork into the leftovers for the sixth time, still not having taken a bite. He knew he was hungry, but the feeling in his stomach objected every time he made a move to eat. Something flickered on the kitchen television, and he lifted his gaze to see the “breaking news” label stretch across the bottom of the screen. He’d turned the news on a while ago but had just been tuning it out.

The announcer, prissy looking blonde woman in a pencil skirt, introduced a story about a car and street shooting that happened just over half an hour ago, and witnesses stated four men were shot dead - two in a car that was driven off, one in a car behind it, and a single man on the street.

 _“The clip we’re about to show you was captured on a witness’s cellphone, and may be disturbing to some viewers,”_ the announcer stated. She nodded subtly, but then her eyes darted away, and her mouth gaped. _“... Um,”_ she blurted. _“I’ve just received word that we have a… technical problem? With the footage. But, but what you would have seen was…”_ She took in a hitching breath, eyes flicking away again, and the screen blinked to a different news anchor.

 _“Sorry about that, folks, we’re having a bit of trouble. We’ll get back to you on that.”_ The anchor went on to an entirely different topic, a charming smile staying plastered on his face.

Mason’s brows furrowed at the strange behavior. _Where’d she say it was…?_ Grabbing his phone from his pocket he looked the incident up online, and a grainy video popped up as a search result. The recording showed a body laying on the street across the road, and inside the car next to it was a flash of black hair and beige clothing. the nondescript vehicle sped away, and a gunshot rang just as the video was cut off.

Mason’s thoughts immediately went to the sweatshirt Mae had been wearing. _Same color._

_You’re bein’ paranoid. No way it could be her._

_Don’t care._ He pressed Mae’s contact and put the receiver to his ear. It rang three times, then stopped.  _She just hang up on me?_ He called again, this time sent straight to voicemail.

His voice of reason insisted that it was because she was pissed at him, and he tried his damnedest to believe it.

 

* * *

 

Mae poked at the bruised skin between Wolfgang’s eyes, the dealer laying beside her against the couch’s backrest. “What happened?”

“Got head-butted by a junkie,” he answered.

“Ouch.”

“You’re tellin’ me.” He turned his face away from her and cupped a hand around his mouth. “If only someone could kiss it and make it better!”

Mae snorted and smacked his chest before turning his face back to her and kissing the bruise. “You’re such a dork.” A buzzing came from the floor, and she rolled over to see her new phone on the carpet. She hurriedly answered.

_"Mae."_

“Six,” she sighed in relief, but then the anger set it. “You didn't tell me that when I used that alert that it would turn everything into a shit show."

_"I told you it was for emergencies. And it was, you were kidnapped."_

"I basically sentenced four people to die, Six. I killed four people. That one guy didn't even do anything wrong, he just... Wait, how'd you know?”

_"I was on comms with the sniper. Those men know what their job entails, you don't have to feel guilty about it."_

"What, you have men who's specific duty is to come running to my rescue?"

_"Not only you, but everyone that I handle. How’s your mental state?”_

“I’m pretty much suppressing it right now.”

_"I'm... I apologize that you had to go through that."_

She sighed. Now the tears were coming. "They weren't even gonna hurt me, Six. They were gonna let me go."

_"What did they want?"_

"They wanted me to take a job against Madrigal, but I turned them down. I'm pretty sure they're the ones who bugged my phone. They thought I lived at Mason's. Y'know, the only place I went to that night."

_"Yes..."_

She sniffled. "What do I do, Six? They're gonna come after me, I know it. I had there guys killed, I—“

_"I'll figure something out, Mae. Just… stay low for a while. Where are you now?”_

“One of the safehouses. Should I call off of work?”

_“No. You’re not one who takes off that often, so it might raise suspicion. Madrigal isn’t an idiot."_

She sighed. “All right. I’ll talk to you later.”

_“Don’t go anywhere alone until we figure out what’s going on.”_

“Fine.”

_“… All right. I’ll talk to you soon.”_

“Bye.” She heard a lighter click as she tossed her phone back to the carpet, and she looked over her shoulder to see Wolfgang taking a long drag before he splayed his arm out. Mae laid down next to him, resting her head against his bicep.

“It ain’t your fault," he told her. "You know that, right?”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“Well, did you pull the trigger?”

“No.”

“Did you know that they were gonna?”

“No.”

“Then it wasn’t your fault.”

She rolled onto her side and soothed a hand over his chest, stopping at his shoulder. “Don’t wanna talk about it.”

Her cell buzzed again, and she groaned.

 _“You said they thought you lived at Mason’s?”_ Six questioned, not bothering with a ‘hello’. He never did.

“Yeah, why?”

_“Stay there until we figure this out.”_

“Can’t do that, he doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. What about Conrad’s?”

 _“They already think you live at Mason’s. We don’t want to expose anything else to them. We have no idea who these people are or how many eyes and ears they have. Stick with what they know._ _I don’t think they’ll go after you there. I suspect that they’ll act a lot more carefully after this, and maybe even retreat for a while.”_

“Well, you’re the expert. I’ll see what I can do.” A long pause. “… Six?”

 _“No. You hang tight, I’ll call back soon.”_ He hung up.

“So… who’s Mason?” Wolfgang asked.

Mae blinked at the phone in confusion. “He, uh… works as a bruiser my boss. We fucked a couple times, then he dropped me this morning.”

“Yeah? Good riddance. You don’t need to be fuckin’ idiots like that.”

“What makes him an idiot? You don’t know ‘im.”

“Angel, anyone who drops you is a fuckin’ idiot.”

She gave him a ‘thank you’ smile and laid back down.

 

* * *

 

Mason was hesitant to answer the unknown number, but he did so after the fourth ring. “Who's this?”

_“Mason Butler?”_

“Uh… yeah?”

_“You can call me Six. I’m a friend of Mae’s.”_

He straightened up. “Yeah? Why you callin’ me.”

_“Something happened and I need you to let Mae stay at your apartment for a few days.”_

He was taken aback for a moment. “… Why?”

_“What I’m about to tell you will not be repeated. Understood?”_

Mason scoffed. “Sure, man.”

_“Mae offers hacking services on the side of her job in entertainment. She’s caught someone’s attention, and whoever they are, they had some of their lackeys nab her while she was leaving your apartment this morning. She sent me an alert, and I had a small squad assassinate her captors.”_

“Christ,” Mason grumbled, hanging his head into his hand. “So that video floating around. That was her?”

_“… I had a contact make sure it wasn’t aired.”_

“You know what the internet is, right? Can’t keep something like that off there.”

_“… Will you let her stay? I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t think it wasn’t absolutely necessary. They think she lives at your apartment, and I don’t want to expose her actual apartment location.”_

“… Yeah. She can stay. But why are you telling me instead of letting her do it herself? She really that pissed at me?”

_“For two reasons. One, I don’t want her to have to relay to you something that might have traumatized her, and two, I want to give you a warning. If anything should happen to her while she’s staying with you, I will make your life a living hell. I’d consider killing you, but that would be letting you off too easy.”_

He scoffed again. “Who the fuck are you, anyway?”

 _“Leave the door unlocked for her.”_ He hung up.

 

* * *

 

_“I spoke with Mason. You’ll be staying there. Have someone escort you to his complex. I’ll arrive soon with a laptop that you can use to conduct your work.”_

Her brow creased. “You what? Why?”

_“Just… get there. All right? The door should be unlocked for you when you arrive.”_

Her expression fell. “… You sound tired, Six.”

_“This situation has been stressful. Nothing compared to what happened on your end, so don’t worry.”_

“I really appreciate everything you’re doing.”

_“I know, Mae. I’ll see you soon. Be careful, and stay safe.”_

“You too, Six.”

 

  
Mae reluctantly opened the door, and Wolfgang breezed passed her to go inside first. She watched him look around before Mason appeared from the bathroom, hair wet like he had just showered.

“The fuck are you?” the bruiser questioned.

“This is Wolfgang. He's a friend of mine," Mae answered. "Six doesn’t want me going anywhere on my own, so he drove me here."

“You got a guest room for her?” the dealer asked.

“Wolfgang,” Mae sighed, and he he gripped her neck in both hands.

“You good?” he asked simply.

“Yes, I’m good.”

“You need anything, you call me.”

“Sure.”

He nodded, stared at her for a moment. “… All right. Stay safe. And don’t let the guy off easy.” He captured her in a deep kiss, and Mae accepted it. “I’ll be in touch.”

“All right. Careful out there.” She turned to Mason as soon as Wolfgang left. “… Sorry. About all this.”

“You okay?” He stepped closer, then mumbled, “Christ. Hold on.”

“What?”

“You got blood on your face.” He rounded the island to the kitchen sink, taking a rag from one of the drawers to wet it. “Surprised that fucker just now didn’t tell you.”

“What’s wrong, you jealous?”

“So what if I am.” He walked over to her and lifted the rag to her face, but she snatched it from him to wash her cheek herself.

“You don’t get to be jealous. I’m not yours to be jealous over, all right, I can fuck who I want.”

“You fucked ‘im?”

“So what if I did? I needed someone and you kicked me out.”

“Mae, the only reason I did that was to keep you safe.”

“Ha! Stellar job.” She winced. “Sorry. It’s not your fault. Safe from what?”

"My job. Everyone I let in my life is at risk. Could be used for leverage or some shit like that."

"Oh. Well that's sweet, but you don't need to worry about me."

"Knew you'd say that, which is why I didn't tell you. I'm gonna run out and get you some things, toothbrush and clothes and shit."

"Hold on," Mae blurted, digging into her purse. "I'll give you my apartment keys so you can just get that stuff from my there."

“What if I’m followed?”

“They think I live here, so they won’t bother.” She handed him the keys, and he took her hand in both of his.

"You good?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"You're all right by yourself for a bit?"

"Mhm."

He hesitated, then placed a kiss on her forehead and left. The tears started again as soon as his footsteps faded down the corridor.


	6. Chapter 6

Mae’s apartment wasn’t what Mason had expected. He was thinking light, spacious and neatly kept. Instead it was dark, small and littered with bits of tech, laptops, labeled usb drives and miscellaneous components. A massive monitor hung over the only windows in the main room - a room that served as a living area, bedroom and kitchen.

Mason brushed off his slight surprise and went to gathering what he thought Mae would want. A toothbrush and cosmetics from her bathroom, clothes from the dresser, and a few work outfits. Then he locked the door and left.

On his way to his car, padding footsteps and the click of claws on the pavement caught his attention. He turned around to see a dumb looking french bulldog trotting along behind him, his fur an all black coat. “Fuck off, shoo,” he told it, but it simply ignored him, and once they reached Mason’s car it jumped right in a sat in the passenger seat.

“Uh-uh,” Mason said, then snapped and pointed to the ground. “Out. C'mon.” When it didn’t listen he reached in to grab it by the scruff, only for it to growl in response. “Are you fuckin’ kidding? Get outta my fuckin’ car.”

It stayed seated.

Mason heaved out a sigh and got in himself, slamming the door. The dog shifted and panted happily as he started the engine. “Un-fuckin’-believable. You’re outta here as soon as I get home.”

 

It was not. The mutt followed him into the lobby right on his heels.

“Um,” the clerk piped up, “Mr. Butler, pets aren’t permitted in—“

“Shut up,” Mason told him without sparing a glance, and he heard the young man sit down.

“Yes sir. Sorry sir.”

When Mason unlocked the door to his apartment, he found Mae sitting on the floor, face to face with a man across from her. His hands bookended her face as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Just ‘cause you’re stayin’ at my place don’t mean you can invite anyone over here,” Mason said, and the two turned to him.

“Oh my god,” Mae mumbled, eyes locked in on the mutt at his feet. She scrambled up and rushed over to scoop the dog into her arms. “Who is this handsome boy? Hello, baby! It’s so good to meet you!” The mutt excitedly licked her face, squirming in her hands as it tried to shake the stub that was its tail. “Thank you so much for the kisses!”

The man she was with stood from the floor. “I only came to drop off a few things that she can use to continue her work.”

Mason recognized his voice from their phone call. “Six, right? You didn’t think that you might’ve been followed?”

“I’m never followed.” He breezed passed Mason and took Mae’s chin in his grip. He stared into her eyes for a silent moment, then mumbled, “All right?”

“Yeah,” she answered, voice low. “All right.”

He gave her cheek a gentle slap, then slid his shades down from his head and left.

Mason turned to Mae. “Who the fuck is he anyway?”

She sat down on one of the island's stools.“Truth be told? I don’t even know. I’m pretty sure he’s ex Secret Service. Some kind of shadow operative. Would explain all his connections.”

“No shit? How’d you two meet?”

“When I was started to make a name for myself I needed to set up connections. Did some digging and found him.”

He sat down beside her. "He told me about what you do."

"Yeah. Guess he had to." She scratched the mutt behind one of its weird bat ears. “I didn’t know you had a dog. Where were you keeping him?”

“Ain’t mine. Jumped into my car when I was leaving your place and wouldn’t get out. I’m considering throwing it off the damn balcony.”

Mae gasped like he had just insulted her mother and cradled the dog to her chest. “You will not lay a finger on this dog. You’re keeping it.”

“I ain’t fuckin’ keepin’ it.”

“You have to, he’s chosen you. But I’m naming him for you… Rex.”

“You’re naming it ‘Rex’. The most stereotypical dog name ever.”

“Mhm. Also, when it’s all clear for me to go home, I’m taking joint custody.”

“That so.”

“Yep.” She lifted the dog to eye-level. “Maman’s gonna get you a nice spiked collar. Would you like that, baby?”

Mason cocked a brow. “‘Maman?”

“Huh?” She blinked at him. “Oh. Sorry. That’s what my mother had me call ‘er. And it’s fitting, too. French bulldog.”

“So you’re mom's French.”

“Yeah, she was. Pops was Brazilian.”

Mason nodded, slowly and subtly. “Was.”

“Yeah. My mom died when I was 6, then my dad when I was 14.”

“Fuck. I’m s—“

“Don’t. I hate when people do that. You tell ‘em you lost someone and the sorry’s bubble out of ‘em like puke. You have nothing to be sorry for.” She reached into her sweatshirt’s pouch pocket to slide out a new phone. “Here, put your number in. One of Six's guys took my other phone.”

Mason took it from her, than stared at her for a moment. “… How you feelin’?”

She looked back down at Rex and scratched his head. “Fine, everything considered. Six gave me a talking to. I’m just… trying not to think about it.”

“It gets easier, kitten.”

“I’m not planning on making killing people a habit.”

“I ain’t sayin’ that. I just mean that you won’t feel like this forever.”

“How long did it take you to get over it? When you first killed someone.”

Mason sighed. “Can’t really say. A week or two maybe.” He reached for her hand. “Mae, it ain’t like you killed ‘em yourself—“

She jerked away and stood up, Rex in her arms. “Let’s go somewhere.”

Mason blinked at her. “You’re kiddin’, right?”

“I can’t stay cooped up, I’m getting claustrophobic. You need pet supplies now, right? Let’s go buy some. I’ll pay.” She set the dog down and grabbed the pack Mason had stuffed everything in. “Let me change and we’ll go.”

 

* * *

 

Not able to put too much thought in an outfit, Mae just slid on a silk tank top and jean shorts. Simple and comfortable.

Again the gunshots rang in her mind, only to be silenced by the remembrance of Six’s icy blue eyes and calm, certain voice.

_“It wasn’t. You.”_

_"I sentenced them to die. And that man on the street…"_

_“The men I have in my arsenal died long ago. He was prepared for it.”_

She walked out of the bathroom and tossed her pack before joining Mason again in the kitchen. “Let’s go.” She picked Rex up.

“You sure about this?”

“Their plan went tits up, so they’re probably retreating for now. Regrouping. Now’s probably the best time for me to go out.”

“… All right.” He stood up, but he didn’t head for the door. Instead he just stood there, eyes scanning over her.

“What,” Mae said, almost warily.

“Nothin’. You’re just all kinds of beautiful and I like to appreciate it sometimes.”

A genuine smile split her face, and she tugged him down to kiss his cheek. “C’mon, let’s go.”


	7. Chapter 7

Her heart was pounding in her chest so hard it almost worried her.

_“Yes?”_

It felt like her blood froze over at the sound of his voice, and she shifted in the passenger seat, getting an annoyed whimper from the napping dog in her lap. “Hey, boss.”

The squeak of a chair. _“Mae. Did you get a new number again?”_

“No, sir, I’m using my friend’s phone. I’m gonna have to call out sick again tonight. I don’t know what’s going on, so I’m gonna head to the doc’s to get checked out. I’m staying with a friend, getting well taken care of.”

_“… Why do you sound nervous, my love.”_

“Nervous? Not sure. Maybe it’s ‘cause I don’t feel right.”

A long pause. _“… All right. You can take off tonight._ _Feel better soon, lovely.”_

“Thanks. See you later.” She hung up and saw Mason glance at her in peripheral view.

“He buy it?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think so.” She dialed another number.

“Who you callin’ now?”

“Nosy, aren’t you.”

“Better word is ‘curious’.”

She shot him a suspicious glare before turning her attention back to her phone, choosing Piper’s contact. Six had already put everyone's number in for her. “Sorry, this drive is mostly gonna be me telling all of my people that I got a new number.”

“That’s fine, kitten. You do what you gotta.”

 

* * *

 

“He likes this one, too,” Mae said, taking the eighth chew toy that the free roaming bulldog had picked up.

“Mae, he’s a dog, he likes every fuckin’ toy,” Mason responded, getting an angry glare from a passing woman who had two little boys in tow.

“Hush.” She tossed the toy into the basket Mason held and followed Rex into another isle. “How about a nice bed? Huh, boy?”

“What’s he need a bed for? He can just have the guest bed. Nobody uses it anyway.”

She gave him a beaming smile, then knelt down to scratch Rex’s ear. “You hear that? You get a giant bed all to yourself!” She looked back up at Mason. “But the kitchen is hard flooring. What if he wants to chill in there?”

Mason paused for a moment, then weakly gestured towards the bedding isle, and Mae’s smile brightened before she jogged towards it with Rex at her heels.

_How’s she so fuckin’ cute._

After Rex laid down on the most expensive fuckin’ bed in the isle, Mae tossed it to Mason and moved on to the collars. It was her pick this time - a golden collar with blunt spikes on it.

“What if he actually belongs to someone?” Mason asked as Mae tried to find the right size.

“He does. Us. And if he had previous owners, they should’ve watched him better and quite frankly we’re better for the job. Anyway, I think that’s enough for today. C’mon, check out’s this way.”

Mae spent 3 minutes talking to the clerk about a suitable vet before she finally pulled out her wallet. “Nah, I got it,” Mason told her.

She blinked at him. “It’s over $200.”

“That’s fine. Put your wallet away.”

Paying that much for pet supplies was worth the smile it got him. Mae stepped out of the way, and he took his own wallet out of his pocket. After paying, Mae took the shopping bags from the cashier and Mason took the bed.

“We just have to stop by the vet’s now,” Mae told him as they walked back to his car.

“Today?”

“Yes, today. You found him on the street, right? We gotta make sure he’s all clear.”

Mason sighed. “Fine.”

Mae smiled again and tugged him down to press a lingering kiss to his neck. “Thanks, big guy. I appreciate it.”

He smiled back. “Anything for you, kitten.” It came out without much thought, and he meant it. Much to his own surprise.

 

* * *

 

“Overnight?” Mae repeated with a frown. “Is that really necessary?”

“I highly recommend it,” the veterinarian responded. “We want to make sure this little cutie is clear of everything. We’ll take very good care of him, miss, I promise. You can pick him up first thing tomorrow.”

“Well… if you think it’s best.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Rex’s head. “I’ll see you later, little guy. Behave.” Mason scratched behind Rex’s ear before heading for the door with Mae. A raspy whine came from the mutt, and Mae’s eyes started to shine with tears. “Aw, Mason, he’s crying for us!” she said as he led her out with a hand to her back. “Look, he’s so sad!”

“You’ll be back tomorrow, kitten.” He cradled her head as they walked through the threshold, and she seemed to cheer up by the time they paid for the overnight stay and headed for the car.

“It’s fine,” she sighed. “We’ll see ‘im tomorrow.”

Mason stared at her for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her, not able to help himself. It felt as great as it always did, eased the tension and restlessness inside him that he always failed to notice until he felt her wash it all away.

His cell phone buzzed, and he held back a growl. Mae simply giggled and pulled back, letting him answer the call.

“What.”

_“Mason.”_

He winced. “Boss. I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting it to be you.”

_“Clearly. Listen, I need you to wrap something up over there. A loose end connected to the… task, that Conrad and I are dealing with. I know that it is your day off, and I apologize, but this cannot wait.”_

He glanced at Mae. “Yeah, all right. I just need to—“

_“This needs to be done quickly. Mason.”_

“… Understood.”

_“Good. I’ll send you the location.”_

He hesitated before asking, “Is it an elimination?”

_“Not yet. I need you to break and enter, no one should be inside the home. You’ll gain access to their computer and send me every document and email you find.”_

“Yessir.”

_“That’s all, Mason. Remember - quickly and efficiently.”_

“You got it.” He waited for Madrigal to hang up before doing so himself. “Kitten, I gotta run a job real quick. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she said quietly. “… Do you like Madrigal?”

“Fuck no. But working for a guy like him has its major perks.”

She propped her elbow on the glove box and rested her cheek in her palm, watching out of the windshield as Mason drove. “That’s what Connie says.”

“Connie,” he repeated with furrowed brows, glancing at her to see the wince twist her face.

“Uh… Conrad. Kellogg?”

“Right. He told me you two were friends.”

“Yeah. He’s the one who got me the dancing job in the first place.”

“How’d you two meet?”

“Through Six.”

“He knows Six too?”

“Where do you think he gets all his tech?”

He was quiet for a moment. “… Why didn’t you call Conrad about your new number?”

“He’s with Madrigal, right? Don’t want him overhearing.”

He nodded. “… So, there’s nothin’ between you two?”

“Would it matter?”

He glanced at her again. “… I’d be lyin’ if I said I wouldn’t be a little jealous.”

“Like I've said, I’m not yours to be jealous over.”

“Yeah. I know.” His phone buzzed with a text from Madrigal - the address to a home that should be an hour’s drive. “Fuckin’ dammit.”

 

* * *

 

 Mason kept her distracted for most of the ride, speaking about whatever came to mind. Mae liked it - it didn’t leave her wondering what he could be thinking about. And she liked listening to him talk.

“All right, you stay here,” Mason told her when they arrived to the location.

Mae scoffed. “Oh yeah, I’ll just ‘stay here’,” she mocked, opening the door and stepping out.

“Mae, you ain’t used to breakin’ and entering.”

“Says who?” He cocked a brow at that. “Sometimes I have to go to the source.”

He shifted his weight, staring at her in slight surprise. “All right, kitten. So how do you get in?”

She went over to the window left of the door and pressed on the glass, then pushed up. “You’d be surprised how many people leave their windows unlocked. If they don’t, I pick the door.”

“That’s great and all, but I ain’t fittin’ through a window.”

“Then find your own way. I’ll meet you inside.”

“No, you’re gonna wait till I open the fuckin’ door. C’mere.”

Her brows jumped, and she stared at him for a moment before climbing through the window. She heard him call for her but ignored him, and instead she walked over to the security system’s panel to shut it down. By the time she was done, Mason broke inside.

“What’d you do,” he questioned.

“I just shut down security. Relax.”

He grumbled and, to Mae’s surprise, took her hand to haul her through the house to a cozy office. “Just hang tight. I’ll be done in a few minutes.”

“Sure.” She wandered over to the bookshelf. “What are you doing anyway?”

“Boss man wants all the documents and emails on this computer sent to him. Gotta figure out how to get in, though. I was hoping he wouldn’t have a passcode.”

“You know how to hack?”

“I know enough. Conrad usually comes with me. He’s quicker with this shit.”

“… I can do it for you, if you want. This’ll go a lot faster.”

His eyes flicked from the monitor to her. “… All right, have at it.”

Mae walked over to him with a pep in her step and sat down in his lap. His hands went to her thighs reflexively, staying there for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against her neck, inhaling deeply.

“You know why he wants all this?” she asked, trying to keep a clear head.

“Mm-mm,” Mason hummed. “Don’t much care, either.”

The computer dinged in greeting when she got through, and she took the liberty of collecting everything into a single email using an anonymous remailer.

“Why you doin’ that?” Mason asked, arms still around her.

Her fingers paused, hovering over the keys. “… Oh. I guess you don’t really need to do that, huh.”

“Lemme take it from here. I don’t want ‘im to get suspicious over differences.”

“Go ahead.” She retracted her hands, and it only took a bit over a minute for her to start getting impatient. So she shifted in Mason’s lap, grinding her ass against his crotch.

“ _Don’t_ fuckin’ do that,” he told her, but she could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Whatcha gonna do if I don’t?” He bit down on her ear and she yelped, shrinking away before shooting him a glare. He kept a straight face, staring at the monitor with a smirk reflecting in his eyes.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she dug it out.

_**Message from:** S_

_Nothing on the men or inside the car that can tell us who they were or who they worked for. Driver didn’t even have a license._

She texted back, _Did you expect them to?_

_\----------_

_No. I’ll have one of my contacts run DNA before we do disposal, but results will take time._

_\----------_

_Don’t use periods, it makes me feel like you’re angry with me_

_\----------_

_Sorry._

_\----------_

_Fuck you._

  
“Six didn’t find anything on the guys or in their car,” she told Mason.

“Well I coulda told you that,” he grumbled. “Anyone who’s ready to nab someone else ain’t gonna be carrying ID on ‘em.”

“He says he’s gonna run DNA.”

“Jesus. He doesn’t fuck around, huh.”

“Mm. You almost done?”

“Almost. Gimme a sec… There. Let’s go.”


	8. Chapter 8

Mae was woken up by the bright lobby lights suddenly hanging over her. She found herself in Mason’s arms, cradled to his chest. “I fell asleep?”

He glanced down at her. “Yep.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You’re cute when you sleep.”

“Mm.” She wriggled out of his hold to walk on her own, and they stepped into the elevator. “So we’ll get Rex in the morning?”

“Fuck, I forgot about the mutt. Yeah. We’ll get ‘im.”

Mae smiled and pulled him down to press her lips to his, meeting him half way by standing on the tips of her toes. It started out chaste, just a thank you kiss, but by the time the doors opened she was a panting mess. Mae prided herself on being able to stay calm and collected, but Mason had a certain effect on her.

He grabbed her hand and towed her down the corridor, but instead of unlocking his door when they reached it he pinned her against it, capturing her in another kiss. By the time he pulled away she was dazed, and against her better judgement she let him undo her shorts and yank them down just passed her knees.

“It’ll take two seconds to unlock the door,” she told him, a bit breathless.

“Two seconds too long,” he shot back, then crouched down and lifted her, ducking his head passed her shorts and standing up so her thighs were perched on his shoulders.

“Woah, woah,” Mae breathed as he stood to full height, and she reached over her shoulder to brace a hand on the wall while the other gripped Mason’s hair. “Really, Mason, someone could—“ she choked on her words as Mason pressed a hard lick along her slit, stopping to circle her clit before putting his entire goddamn heart into eating her out.

Mae tried her damnedest to stay quiet in the near dead silent hallway, but every exhale carried a frayed moan, and it only seemed to goad Mason on. Mae screwed her eyes shut as they began to cross, and she dug her heels into Mason’s back. He was working fucking miracles with his tongue, and Mae was close to coming almost embarrassingly fast. She used his hair as a rein, crushing herself against his face. He dipped his tongue inside her as she came, gave her something to clench around which took the satisfaction up to another level.

Mason ducked his head under her shorts again to free himself, keeping her suspended against the door while she caught her breath.

Then the elevator dinged, and she nearly wobbled out of his hold.

“Easy, easy,” Mason chuckled, carefully lowering her before yanking her shorts back up. He started to turn his head to see who had stepped out of the elevator, but Mae grabbed his chin before he could to wipe the bruiser’s mouth, his lips glistening.

He leaned closer, pressing a kiss to the corner of her jaw. “You taste as good as you look, kitten.”

“Unlock the damn door,” she sighed, and Mason obeyed, a smug look on his face. As soon as they were inside he kissed her, kicking the door closed behind them. One of his hands went to her neck while the other cupped her cheek—

_Where the blood had splattered, warm and wet, could feel it on the corner of my mouth, droplets skimming my eyelashes, was that flash the bullet coming out of his head?_

She flinched away and blinked rapidly, a hand on Mason’s chest. “Hey, hey,” he mumbled, brows furrowing. “You okay?”

“I’m fine, kiss me,” she said in a rush of a sigh, but when she tried to tug him back down he didn’t budge. Just stared. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“I’m lookin’ at you like I always do.”

“No, you’re not.” She stripped off her tank top, then shimmied off her shorts. His eyes scanned over her and lost that scrutiny that was glinting in them. “That’s better.”

“That ain’t fair,” Mason grumbled, scooping her up to carry her towards the bed. He dropped her onto the mattress and kissed her as he slid off her underwear. He tucked her hair behind her ear, a gesture that would’ve made her smile if he hadn’t brushed his palm over her cheek again. She heard the gunshots ring in her mind, and she lifted her leg to hook it around Mason’s hip. He followed the way she pulled him, flopping down on the bed so she could straddle him.

“Want it hard,” she told him, digging her nails into his shoulders. “Okay? _Hard_.” She fumbled with his belt. “Want you to fuck me senseless. You’re good at that.” He said something back, but the sound of that car’s window shattering muted his words. She was getting impatient, wanted the barrage of memories to disappear. So she kneed his ribcage. “Now!”

With a surge of movement she was tossed off of him, bouncing on the mattress and landing on her stomach. Mason was behind her almost instantly, and he gathered her hair in his fist. “Yes, yes, yes,” Mae breathed, and he lined himself up. “C’mon—“

She choked on cry as Mason shoved himself inside her, so hard it rocked her down to her elbows. He didn’t go easy, didn’t bother working up to a quicker pace and just started pistoning into her, the bed jouncing with his thrusts. Mae couldn’t hold onto a single thought that wasn’t him, how fucking good he felt inside her and how much she loved the brutal presence of his hand in her hair.

“This what you wanted, kitten?” he panted. “Huh?”

“ _Fuck_ , Mason— y-yeah…” She felt a saliva-slicked thumb work passed her ass cheeks to prod at the tight ring of muscle before slipping in, and Mae groaned into the mattress. His massive hand stayed planted on her ass, fingers denting into her flesh from a tight grip.

Mae lost herself in the pleasure, focused on nothing but Mason, and it was timeless bliss. However many minutes ticked by, there were enough to have her throat ache from moans and cries he fucked out of her. When she came he held still deep inside her, and she dug her nails into the mattress so hard she broke one.

“Fuck,” Mason growled. “You ain’t got no idea how fuckin’ bad I just wanna come inside you. Feel you squeeze around my cock while I fill you up. That’d be fuckin’ paradise.”

Mae groaned, thighs spasming from her dying high. The admission that she’d let him do anything almost left her lips.

“I’m close, kitten. Where you want it?”

She almost told him to stay inside her, but she listened to her better judgement and slapped his hand away so he detangled his fingers from her hair. His expression twisted in confusion as she turned towards him, but it was gone in a flash when she took him in her hand and wrapped her lips around his cock. His hand found her hair again and she focused on the head, sucking while her hand stroked him to release. She swallowed him eagerly, took him deeper so he was shooting down her throat. She barely managed not to choke when his hips bucked reflexively.

Mae let herself collapse when his cock stopped twitching, and Mason fell beside her.

“Hey,” he piped up after a few minutes of comfortable silence. “You good?”

She knew what he was asking, and thankfully she was too dazed to have the flashbacks come. Instead she lifted her hand with a whimper to show him the nail on her middle finger, painted a pretty dark purple, but broken. Mason huffed out a chuckle, then surprised her by placing a kiss on her knuckle.

“I gotta take a quick shower, kitten. Got work tomorrow.”

“Hurry back,” she ordered. eyes fluttering closed as Mason’s weight lifted off the bed.

 

* * *

 

So maybe he shouldn’t have done that. Maybe he should’ve tried harder to get her talking. He knew something was wrong, could practically see the scene flash in her eyes. She was suppressing the memory, and Mason wasn’t sure if that was such a great way of dealing with what happened. 

He turned the shower off and stepped out, grabbing a towel off the nearby rack. He’d ask her about it again when he got back to bed. She said she talked to Six, but who knows how good the guy is with this stuff?

When he came back out,  Mae was on her cell phone.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she said. "Mason told me sometimes Madrigal's men just leave the business. Don't worry too much... I know... Yeah, good idea. I'll see you later."

Mason crawled onto the bed. "Something up?"

"That was Magnolia. She's noticed two of Madrigal's boys aren't showing up anymore. She said it wouldn't be bothering her if they weren't usually always around."

Mason's eyes darted over the sheets as he thought. "... I think I know who she's talkin' about. Couple of idiots, so it ain't unlikely that they were just canned."

"You don't think it's weird? First Finn disappearing out of the blue, then two more?"

"You shouldn't worry about it. Worry about that nail you broke."

"You mock me, but it's upsetting, okay. These are my real nails, Mason. I grew them myself."

"You say that like there's an alternative."

"Well, yeah. Fake nails."

He blinked at her. "There's fake nails? What?"

Her brows furrowed, and she laid down on her side, elbow propped on the pillow and head resting on her palm. "You've never heard of fake nails. Acrylics? Plastic?"

"No, and honestly it sounds fuckin' creepy. You just put fake nails on top of your regular ones? That's fuckin' weird."

She stared at him for a moment, then turned onto her opposite side. "I'm so turned off right now."

 Mason chuckled. "Don't be like that." He rolled her onto her back and hovered over her. "So what, you just pry them off when you're done?"

"Ugh! The ignorance! Away from me, you fiend."

He slid his arms under her. "Nah, I prefer bein' _real_ close." She let him kiss her, and the plan he'd thought of in the shower was soon gone from his mind. 


	9. Chapter 9

Mae choked on a gasp, the loud and aggressive knocking against the door startling her out of sleep.

“Shh, shhh,” Mason hushed sleepily, curling an arm around her and pulling her closer. “Y’hush.”

“Someone’s at the door,” she told him.

“Hm?” Another series of knocks. “Oh.”

“ _Answer it._ ”

“All right, all right.” He did a full-body stretch before getting out of bed and yanking on the pair of jeans on the floor, and Mae burrowed deeper under the sheets.

“Conrad?”

“Where is she?”

“Hey, you can’t just barge in.”

“Ah, fuck off.”

She pulled the sheets off her head and sat up, holding them to her chest. “Connie?”

“Mae,” he sighed, striding over to her and sitting on the edge of the bed. “You okay? Couldn’t reach you on your phone so I contacted Six. He told me what happened.”

“I’m fine.”

“No you ain’t, kitten,” Mason said gently.

“Yes I am!”

He turned to Conrad. “I think touchin’ her cheek triggers flashbacks. She’s suppressin’, too.”

“Oh, please.” She dramatically threw the sheets off and stood up, padding across the floor to the pack Mason had gathered her things in. She heard a gentle _thwack_.

“Quit gawkin’ like a fuckin’ teenager,” she heard Mason scold.

“What d’you want from me? I’m a guy. Just ‘cause I’m taken don’t mean I—“

 “Taken? Like officially?” Mae cut off, picking out a pair of underwear and sliding them on.

“Uh… yeah.”

“Nate knows?”

“No, I’m keepin’ it a secret from 'im. Yes, he fuckin’ knows.”

She hurried over to the closet, planning on stealing the dress shirt Mason had replaced the other one with. Instead she found something even better. “Oh… my god.”

“What,” Mason asked warily.

She pulled the crop top out, presenting the front to them. Written in large pink letters was _I eat ass._

Conrad laughed so hard it came out as a wheeze, and he nearly fell off of the bed. “You fuckin’ kept it?!”

Mason just grinned at him, swiping the tip of his tongue over a canine tooth, and Mae slid the shirt on before heading to her laptop on the kitchen’s island. She sent Nathan a video chat request, and luckily he answered right away.

 _“Hey, Maeday,”_ he said with a dazzling smile, then his eyes flicked down and it blew out to a grin. _“Where the fuck? Can I have that? Doesn’t look your size anyway.”_

“You’d have to ask Mason.”

_“Mason? Madrigal’s walkin’ tank? You didn’t tell me you guys were a thing.”_

Mason walked passed to get to the fridge. “Good to see ya, pretty boy.”

_“That shirt true, handsome?”_

“Lips are sealed,” he called from the counter.

_“Ah, no fun. So what’s up, Mae?”_

“Connie’s here and he told me you two are official now.”

Conrad appeared over Mae’s shoulder and draped an arm around her neck. “Hey, pretty boy.”

He smiled, but something about it was different from the ones he always gave Mae. She guessed it was one reserved just for Connie. _“Hey, tough guy. Whatcha doin’ over there?”_

“Came to see Mae.”

“So you and Nora…?” Mae mentioned.

Nathan sobered up. _“Yeah. We’re splitting. We had a long talk the other night. She’s getting full custody of Shaun with no fight from me, we’ve forgiven each other on the mutual cheating, and we’re still close. It’s all good.”_

“Good. I’m glad you guys are splitting, it’s better for both of you.”

Nathan stared at her for a moment, then huffed out a laugh. _“That’s one of the reasons I adore you, y’know? Everyone I’ve told so far just started spewin’ apologies and sayin’ how sad it is. ‘Oooh no, really? Ah, that’s a shame!’ It takes everything I have not to roll my eyes.”_

“You guys are gonna keep it from Madrigal and Navarra, right? Either of them finds out one of their guys is in a relationship with someone from a rival collective—“ a realization suddenly donned, and she gasped. “Rex!”

“Who?” Nate and Conrad ask in unison, but Mason groaned.

“The fuckin’ mutt,” he grumbled. “What about this just randomly reminded you of him?”

“I dunno.” She hurried over to the bags Mason packed. “I gotta go get ‘im.”

“You can’t go anywhere alone,” Conrad said, sitting down in front of her laptop. “Six's orders."

“So Mason will take me.”

“I got work,” he responded, voice muffled by the food in his mouth. He chewed more, then swallowed to add, “So does ‘Connie’.”

“You call me that again I’m breaking your kneecaps.”

“Oh, that’s all I’m ever gonna call you now.”

 _“I’m not busy,”_ Nate piped up. _“I can go with ‘er, wherever it is she needs to go. But it’d be cool to know why she needs an escort in the first place.”_

“Connie, explain while I get ready. And give ‘im Mason’s address, too.”

 

 

“You be careful, yeah?” Mason told her as they left the lobby. Conrad made a beeline for Nathan’s car. “Watch your back.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Mae responded. “I’ll see you later.”

“Right. See ya.” He put his hand to her neck and tilted her chin up with his thumb as he leaned down, capturing her in a quick kiss. “Conrad! You ready?”

The hitman waved and ducked his head through Nate’s car window for a moment before walking over to Mason. He ruffled Mae’s hair as they passed each other, and she got into the passenger seat.

“Hey hey, gorgeous,” Nate greeted. “… You good?”

She groaned. “Next person to ask me that, I’m kicking them right in the teeth.”

"All right, all right. It’s just… you know.”

“Yeah. I know. Can we go pick up my dog now?”

“ _Hell_ yeah. I am extremely ready to meet this dude.” He turned the radio on blast then sped out the parking lot, and a rapid fire giggle burst from Mae. Nate drummed on the steering wheel, and they sang along obnoxiously loud.

“—hold ‘em by the knees and bow, I can’t always feel this proud, BREATHE OUT SORROWWW,”

He abruptly turned the music down. “Okay, I’ve held back as long as I can. I have to ask…”

“Ask.”

“How good is he in bed?”

Mae splayed her fingers over her chest in feigned surprise. “ _Nathan_. I cannot believe that you, a taken man, are asking me such a question.”

“C’mon, sate my curiosity!”

“Well… he definitely raised the bar.”

“To like, space, right?” He smiled when Mae laughed, but it faded and he looked ahead. “That’s how I feel about Connie.”

Mae narrowed her eyes at his suggestive tone. “Just _what_ are you implying, Mr. Gentry.”

“Nothin’. Let me ask you somethin’ else?”

“Carefully.”

“Did you fuck anyone else after him?”

“Yeah. Wolfgang.”

“It didn’t feel right, did it. After Mason.”

“Wouldn’t say that… Just felt… off?”

“Same thing.”

“Okay, so?”

“Just… don’t be quick to drop someone you got a connection with. Even if it’s just _that_ kind of connection.”

She shifted in her seat. “… He’s actually the one who dropped me. Right before all this happened.”

“What? Why?”

“Said, ‘to keep me safe from his job’.”

“That’s good! ‘Cause it means he cares about you more than just fucking you. Right?”

“I dunno. Sounded kinda like bullshit to me.”

“Hey, easy. I do the same thing. Why do you think I’m only friends with guys in Navarra’s collective? I don’t wanna drag anyone into this shit. Only reason I’m close to Nora is that I needed ‘er.”

They both paused for a moment, then Nathan switched the music to a different song, and Mae turned the volume up so they could sing along in unison.

“When I needed you the most, I needed you. When I needed you the most, I needed you~”

 

* * *

 

“All right,” Mason sighed, stopping the tape recorder and tucking it into his pocket.

“All right, you’ll let me go?” the target responded, voice shaking with hope. Mason almost winced.

“Nah, pal. Sorry.”

“Wait, wait, wai—!” Two bullets to the heart, and he was down.

“‘Sorry?’” Conrad repeated. “Feelin’ sympathetic today?”

“Guess so…” He scrubbed his hand over his mouth in thought. “… Don’t you think this is weird? Another elimination? We coulda gotten the data easy without the guy finding out. There’s no doubt he’s got the same shit he told us on his computer somewhere. But boss man tells us to to use some shitty little recorder and get it from the man himself?”

Conrad sighed. “You ask me, man, Madrigal doesn’t give a shit anymore. He thinks he’s untouchable now, startin’ to act reckless. Probably why whoever’s after Mae has the guts to go after him now.” His phone buzzed, and he dug it out of his pocket. "Speak of the devil..." He glanced at Mason before answering. "Sir..." A long pause. "Oh. All right... Right. Thank you, sir... Bye, sir."

Mason cocked a brow. "So...?"

"He just gave us a few days off, effective as soon as this job's dealt with."

"What? Why?"

"Apparently he caught a plane early this morning with his wife and daughters to 'take a vacation'."

"He's never taken a vacation in his life. And a guy in his position can't just take off."

"I know."

Mason paused. "... You notice that three of our guys have gone missing?"

"Finn and the idiot twins. Yeah."

"Somethin's up, man. We gotta be careful."

 

* * *

 

After Mae paid the bill and did a bit of paper work, Rex was walked out of the kennel in the back on a leash.

“We gave him a good grooming, too,” the vet technician smiled. “It’s complimentary for new clients.”

“Oh my god,” Nate said under his breath, scooping the dog up. “He’s so dumb looking. I love him. Hey there, boy! I’m your dad!”

“Actually,” Mae said, taking Rex from him and heading for the exit. “Mason is. We’ve got joint custody once it’s clear for me to head home.”

“You own a dog together? You might as well call yourselves a couple at this point.”

“Right, after talking to each other for just a few days. Besides, you really think Mason’s the type?”

“Did Conrad seem like the type?”

“I don’t know… Not really.” She ducked into the car and seated Rex on her lap. “But they’re two different people.”

Nathan started the car and pulled out of the lot. “So where’d you get Rex anyway?”

“He followed Mason home the day everything went to shit.”

“For real? That’s like, destiny or some shit. He’s a tiny angel.”

Mae glanced in the sideview mirror at the car behind them, and she could've sworn it was the same one that followed them on their way to the vet’s. “Yeah…”

“S’wrong?”

“… Nothing. I’m just being paranoid.”

“Is it the car behind us with the tinted windows?”

She looked at him. “Uh… yeah. Just looks familiar.”

Nate flipped his phone in the tray and glanced at the screen. “‘Cause it is. The guy inside followed us to the vet’s, but he didn’t get out when we got there so I took a photo of his plates.”

“What? When?”

“When I pretended to try and make a call while we were heading inside. Anyway, I ran ‘em, and they’re fake.”

Mae’s brows furrowed. “How’d you run the plates?”

“You think you’re the only one with connections?”

She glanced in the mirror again. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t wanna make you nervous till I was sure. You think he works for whoever had you nabbed?”

“I mean… It’s gotta be, right?”

“… What d’you wanna do?”

“Hold on. I’ll call Six.” She dug her phone out and pressed Six’s contact.

“Put it through the car speaker.”

“Sure.”

He answered on the fourth ring. _"Mae.”_

“I just picked Rex up from the vet, and we’re being followed.”

“Want me to car jack ‘im?” Nate asked. “Get to an alley and ask some questions?”

_“… No. Too many things could go wrong, and we don’t want to involve you. Just act like you don’t notice him. Don’t leave Mae alone.”_

“I’ve got a gun, guys,” she piped up. “I can defend myself.”

_“How helpful was that gun last time?”_

“He caught me by surprise! I’ll be ready.”

_“No. Also, I received results from the DNA I sent. They’re not in any databases, so whoever wants you has connections on the same level as I do.”_

“So why don’t they have someone else do this job?”

_“Irony, maybe. Using one of Madrigal’s girls to take him down."_

“So what do we do?”

_“I’m still working on it. I’ll contact you later. Are you doing a job today?”_

“Planning on it.”

_“Be careful. More so than usual.”_

“You got it. Later, Six.”

He hung up, and Nate’s phone rang moments later. His expression fell, and he disconnected it from the speaker.

“Sir… Oh…? Yes sir… I'm on it, I just gotta…. Yes sir… Goodbye, sir.” He waited a moment, then hung up. “I just got called in for a job. I’m sorry, I thought I’d be clear today.”

“S’okay,” Mae said quietly, studying his expression. He really did seem upset about it. But then a smile tugged at his lips.

“Tell you what. I’ll call in a replacement.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Nate was canonically working for a crime lord, it felt right to add him into the au.
> 
> -Ellie


	10. Chapter 10

Mae nearly choked on her water when the door was hit from the other side. It sounded more like there was a stampede than someone knocking. “Is your replacement a monster?!”

“Nope.” Nate opened the door. “Just a very strapping and intimidating man.”

Stomping in came Luxe: muscular and tall with a shaved head and golden skin, wearing what Mae liked to call a ‘douchebag shirt’ - a tank top with sleeves drooping well below the waist.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Luxe grinned, pulling her into a hug. “S’good to see ya.”

“You too, Luxe,” she smiled. “Thanks for agreeing to keep me company."

“I gotta bounce,” Nate said. "Mae, if you will humbly offer me your head so I may kiss it?" She leaned closer, bowing graciously, and Nate pressed a kiss into her hair. "See you later. Luxe, take care of our girl."

He did a mock salute. “Yessir.” As soon as the door closed he pounced, capturing Mae in a dizzying kiss and pinning her against the island.

Mae was lost in it for a moment, sighing contently at the familiarity, but her head soon cleared and she pushed him away, putting up her index finger when he placed his hands on her hips. “Uh… no.”

His brows furrowed. “‘Kay. But why?”

“I, uh… kinda have my sights set on Mason.”

He lifted his hands palm side up. “Say no more.”

“Sorry. Is it… still good to see me?”

“Always, angel. So what’s happenin’, am I takin’ you to work now or are we hangin’ here for a while?”

“I have to do a job real quick, but it shouldn’t take longer than an hour. I can head in early.”

Rex came trotting from the guest room, and Luxe’s smile returned. “Hey, little guy! Who’re you, huh?” He picked him up, scratching behind his ear.

“That's Rex,” Mae introduced. “He followed Mason home.”

“He got any toys?”

“Tons.”

“Well, I know what I’ll be doin’ for the next hour.”

 

* * *

 

Mason watched the patrons, sitting in Madrigal's V.I.P booth. It was fuckin' comfortable, more than he thought it'd be. He was being chatted up more than usual, probably because the big boss wasn't there. It seemed like every five minutes one of the show girls stopped to speak with him, and if it wasn't one of them it was a patron.

"Hey there," a leggy blonde said over the music, dropping herself right in his lap. "The name's Tess. Come here often?"

Mason couldn't stop a chuckle. "Did you really use that line on me?"

"Did it work?"

He took a pull from his beer with a smile, and when he glanced beyond the woman's shoulder he saw Mae walking in. Some asshole was hanging off her like she was his, arm draped around her shoulders, lips to her ear as he whispered something. A regular grabbed her arm, and her escort got into his personal space immediately, standing tall and bumping chests. Mae squeezed between them with a nervous smile and ran her hands down the guy’s chest.

 _Guess that’s just a tactic of hers._ “Yo, Connie.”

“Told you not to call me that,” Conrad grumbled, walking over with a beer. “What.”

“You know who that is?”

His upper lip twitched. “Luxe. One of Nate’s friends. Mae’s friend, too. Fuckin’ dumbass, but he’s apparently a ride or die sorta guy.”

Mae whispered something into Luxe’s ear, and he held her gaze for a moment before nodding and leaving her side, heading for the bar. She sighed and continued towards backstage. She glanced Mason's way, and her steps faltered as her expression fell.

"Hey, you forget I'm here?" the blonde asked, turning his face back towards her.

"Sorta, yeah."

She retracted a bit, then scoffed and stood up. She said something to him before walking away, but Mason was distracted. Mae was being groped by yet another clubber, the man getting into her personal space and even nipping at her neck. Mason and Conrad both stood, but froze when Mae nailed the guy in the crotch and pressed her heel into his jugular when he crumpled to the floor.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Conrad mumbled, and he and Mason both made a beeline for Mae.

“Take it easy, kitten,” Mason told her, and she only spared him a glance before turning her attention back to the patron.

“How much pressure do you think it’ll take to puncture his throat?” she asked, and it sent a sickening chill down Mason's spine. He moved for her, but paused when he saw her ankle dip.

“Kitten, lay off, all right? I’ll take care of ‘im.”

Her brows furrowed, gaze still on the man. “Not a lot, right? These are sharp heels.”

Before she could do anything more, Luxe swooped in, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her so the victim could scramble away. “That why you shooed me away?” he asked, hugging her from behind. “So you could cause trouble? Huh?”

“Well, you know me.”

Cheekily, he flicked his eyes up to meet Mason’s. “Very well.”

“You shouldn’t’ve left ‘er,” Mason scolded. “Thought you were supposed to be watchin’ ‘er.”

Luxe grinned and let go of Mae to get right into Mason’s personal space. “So you’re him, huh… Y’know, that big bouncy bed of yours? Real comfy. Mae looks real nice on those white sheets. Might needa throw ‘em in the wash now, though. Sorry about that. Wouldn’t let me come inside ‘er this time.”

Mason was about to punch the fucker, but Mae beat him to it, slapping him hard across the cheek with a loud crack, audible even with the blaring music. She took his face in her hands and brought him closer. “You don’t get to use me to piss someone off, all right?”

“… Sorry. I’m sorry.” He leaned closer and pulled her into a hug, tighter and tighter until she hugged him back. “… You want me to bounce?”

“I think you should. I’ll talk to you later.”

“I’ll be waitin’, sweetheart.” He kissed her head, shot a glare at Mason then headed for the exit.

“‘Scuse us,” Mason told Conrad, taking Mae’s arm and dragging her off.

 

* * *

 

“Watch it,” Mae snarled, voice jumbled as her back hit the bathroom door. Mason hovered over her, hands planted on either side of her.

“Did you fuck him, kitten?” he asked, voice low and menacing. “In _my_ bed?”

“Of course I didn’t! Do you really think I would?”

“Well you fucked Wolfgang, so I wouldn’t put it passed you. What about the guest room, you fuck ‘im in there? The kitchen? Against that window you like so much?”

“Stop it!” She shoved him away. “What is with you? You don’t get to do this, Mason, you don’t get to be some jealous asshole when I’m not even yours. Besides, what about you? If I hadn’t come in early then I bet it would’ve been that blonde in here instead of me.”

“No it fuckin’ wouldn’t’ve been, I don’t wanna fuck anyone else but you.”

She cocked a brow. “Yeah? I’m that good, huh?”

“It ain’t like, that, Mae.” He seemed to be getting frustrated now, and an upset bruiser wasn’t someone Mae wanted to be around.

“I’m going home.”

“You can’t go home, not until your guy figures out what’s going on.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I didn’t mean _home_ home, I meant…”

He stepped closer. “My place?”

She nodded.

“… I’ll drive you.”


	11. Chapter 11

They were both angry, but Mae was sure that Mason didn’t have any more of a clue as to why than she did. The bruiser closed the guest room door on a sleeping Rex before striding over to Mae. She shoved him away just because she could, but he went back at her with more strength, lifting her up and tossing her onto the bed. He shed his clothes in record time then knelt onto the mattress, catching Mae by her ankle and dragging her closer until she was under him. He yanked her performance clothes off of her, lined himself up and shoved inside her. Mae choked on a cry and Mason reared up on his knees, tugging Mae with him, then hooked her legs over his forearms before thrusting in again, hard and deep. He created a pace from it, rolling his hips now and again to brush harder against her sweet spot.

Mae fought to keep her anger, but the feeling gave way to fixation on Mason’s body. The muscles in his arms and chest stood out like carved marble, reminding her of the greek gods depicted by mastered artists. Mason draped himself over her, and Mae glided her hands over his back as she arched into him to press against the hard lines of his body.

She tore her nails into his skin, sunk her teeth into his shoulder, and Mason retaliated by fanning her knees out to pin them to the mattress. The junction of her thighs stung from the stretch, and it ripped a moan from her throat. 

Mason was grunting and growling like an animal, fucking her like he was feral and it had Mae practically drowning in arousal. The massive bed jounced with his thrusts and Mae savored every minute that ticked by as her body jolted with the momentum, her chest bouncing and ass jiggling from the force of Mason's hips. 

“Inside me,” she managed to pant out. “Come inside me.”

A groan vibrated in Mason’s chest as he sped up, fucking Mae so hard she could barely breathe, but it was as close to bliss as she’d ever been. She nudged her hand between them and Mason lifted himself up just enough for her to circle her clit in time with his thrusts. Mae screwed her eyes shut and dug her nails in between Mason’s shoulder blades.

“Fuckfuckfuckfuck—- _Mason_!”

He came inside her as she seized around him, grinding his hips against hers to get as deep as possible.

“Mae…” he sighed after the high died down, carefully lowering his weight back down. She hugged her legs against his waist and cradled his head as she caught her breath, raking her fingers through his hair.

They laid there for a while in comfortable silence, then Mason lifted himself up, bringing Mae with him. She followed his gaze to between their bodies, and she watched as he pulled out, his cock glistening and his cum wetting her sensitive skin. A strangled moan worked its way from Mae’s throat, and she pulled him into a kiss.

“You ain’t worried?” he asked quietly.

“Mm-mm,” she hummed. “I’ll run to the drugstore tomorrow and get something.”

He nodded in understanding before laying them both back down, on their sides facing each other. Mae soothed her fingers over his cheek, nails scraping over his stubble. She’s always liked the sound.

“I didn’t do anything with Luxe,” she told him, feeling like it needed to be said.

“But you have before.”

She nodded.

“So why not now?”

She thought back to what he had said earlier. “Don’t want anyone else but you.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Yeah? I’m that, good, huh.”

Mae shot him a lighthearted glare, and he wrapped an arm around her to curl her into him, her back to his chest.

 

* * *

 

Mason carefully untangled his legs from Mae’s as soon as he heard her breathing even out, then crept towards his computer. The uncertainty was tugging at his insides, and he knew it wouldn’t stop until he found out for sure if Mae was telling the truth. So he pulled up the sec cam footage from earlier and found the time when Luxe arrived. Anger spread like heat through his chest and over the edges of his mind when the fucker kissed her, pinning her against the island.

“What are you doing?”

He paused and jerked his head towards the bed to see Mae staring at him. “You said you didn’t do nothin’.”

She blinked at him. “… Keep watching.”

“You think I wanna watch you fuck someone else? You ain’t serious.”

Mae stood up and padded over to him, hitting play. “Watch.”

Reluctantly Mason did as she said, and within the first few seconds he watched her push Luxe away with a stern expression. She said a few words to him, and he put his hands up like he was surrendering.

Mae laid down on the bed again, back to Mason, and he watched the camera footage until Luxe sat on the floor to play around with Rex while Mae busied herself on her laptop.

Mason leaned back in his chair, feeling like an asshole. “… Sorry. Shoulda believed you.”

“No, it’s good to know that you think I’m a liar.”

“Ah, c’mon, kitten. Don’t be like that.” He stood up and knelt down on the bed to crawl to her, turning her onto her back. “Fuckin’ hate when you’re pissed at me.”

“Then don’t do things that’ll piss me off.”

“Well, what do I do that pisses you off?”

“I actually have a list. Let me get it.”

He rolled his eyes at her smile. “You think you’re cute, huh.”

“Mhmmm…” She pulled him into a kiss, then wriggled out from under him. “I gotta take a shower. If I’m quick enough I can probably get back to Madrigal’s before my set.”

“Or you can just take off. Boss cut me loose today 'cause he's gone for a few days. Maybe we can… I dunno. Do somethin’.”

She blinked at him. "Like... something other than fuck?"

"Well... yeah."

A beaming smile split her face. "Okay."

 

* * *

 

Mae retracted her hand when Mason took in a sharp breath through his teeth, but she put the wet rag right back on his shoulder blade. “Oh, don’t be such a baby.”

Mason was sat on the foot of the bed, letting her wipe away the blood that bloomed from the scratches she had carved into his arms and back. “Fuck, kitten, you really tore inta me.”

“I got caught up in the moment.” She finished up and handed him the rag. “Okay. Let me just check my emails and then we’ll head out.”

“Do we really gotta go to the fuckin’ dog park? When I said do somethin’ I didn’t mean include the mutt.”

“We locked him in the guest room - I think he deserves some fun. Besides, I wanna find out if he gets along with others.”

“Fine. Whatever you want.”

Mae shot him a smile and headed for her laptop in the kitchen, but she paused when a knock at the door sounded. “That was too gentle for anyone that I know. You expecting someone?”

Mason yanked on a tank top, brows furrowed as he headed for the door. “Nah…” Mae watched him open the door, and she lost sight of him for a moment before he reappeared with a cell phone in his hand.  “A disposable,” he told her, turning it in his hand. “Got your name written on the back."

“Let me see.” She took the cell from him and powered it on. A single contact was listed, labeled not with a name but a message - _Call me._ With it was a logged location. Nervousness fluttered into her stomach, and Mason stepped behind her to read it over her shoulder.

“I don’t like it,” he grumbled.

“Yeah. Me neither. Let me call Six, see what I should do.”

“Do you do anything without askin’ him first?”

She blinked at him. “Yes, I do. But in case you forgot, I have strangers trying to nab me and tinted cars tailing me. I think it’d be smart to be careful.”

He put his hands palm side up and backed away. “All right, all right. Got it.”

She took out her own phone, and Six answered on the third ring.

_“What is it?”_

“A disposable cell was just dropped off in front of our—“ she winced. “in front of Mason’s door with my name written on it. There’s a contact listed that just reads, ‘call me’. Should I?”

A long pause. _“… Not yet. I’ll come over.”_

“What? Why?”

_“To look over the phone and to listen in on the call. Give me 10 minutes.”_


	12. Chapter 12

“All right,” X6 finally said, giving her the phone back. “Make the call. Put it on speaker.”

“You’re really bossy, you know that?” Mae grumbled, dialing the contact. It rang twice before a masked voice answered.

_“Mae Santos?”_

“They’re speaking through a synthesizer,” Six mumbled.

“That’s pretty lame.”

_“Hey, now. Easy. My feelings are easily hurt.”_

“What d’you want?”

_“I don’t want to stay on for too long, so just hear me out. I’m with the collective that you had a run in with the other day. I wanna try for another meeting, but one that you’ll fully consent to. Meet me at the location that I programmed into the phone at the time given with it. You can have one person tag along to help you feel safe, but any more and I won’t show. You think about involving any sort of authority, you won’t get any of the answers you’re probably itching for. See you soon.”_

“Wait, why'd—“

He hung up.

“I’m goin’ with ‘er,” Mason said immediately.

“That would be unwise,” Six responded. “I’ll go. I’m her handler, and I’m more experienced with these situations. You can drive there with us, but you’ll stay in the car.”

“Shit, you really are bossy.”

“Time says 8pm, but I don’t recognize the address,” Mae said.

Six made a _gimme_ gesture with his fingers, and Mae slapped the phone into his hand. He headed over to her laptop and hacked through its security.

“Did you just hack me?” Mae said with feigned hurt. “Do you know how damaging that is to our friendship?”

Without looking away from the screen he responded, “What friendship.”

Mae put a grasping hand on her chest and fell to her knees, other hand braced on the floor. “Oooh, my heart. How could you? We can never come back from this.”

“There. I have the location.”

She stood up, bouncing on her heels. “Already?”

“It’s a warehouse.”

“Jeez, this person is just one huge cliche, huh? Disposable cells, voice changers, desolate meeting spots.”

“It’s 2 and a half hours out - just enough time for us to get there.”

Mae frowned and looked at Rex on the bed. “Sorry, pal. No park today.”

 

  
The ride consisted of Six driving silently while Mae and Mason behaved like bored children, sprawled out in the back seats. They played around with the snacks they’d brought, tossing them shallowly in the air for the other to try and catch with their mouth, told stupid and usually dirty jokes, played road trip games, including brief periods of I-Spy.

_“All right, big guy. I spy something blue.”_

_“Seriously? The sky.”_

_“Nope.”_

_“What? You can’t pick something we just passed.”_

_“We didn’t pass it.”_

_A long pause. “Fuck, I give up. What?”_

_“Six’s eyes.”_

_“You can’t fuckin’ see his eyes, he’s got shades on.”_

_“I see them in my mind.”_

_“That’s so fuckin’ cheating.”_

 

Mae was just starting to doze off when they arrived, head against the window and legs kicked up on Mason’s lap. She gently slapped her cheeks as she got out of the car to rouse herself, and Mason jumped into the driver’s seat.

“You got your gun, kitten?” he questioned.

“I’ve got mine,” Six piped up. “It’ll be sufficient protection for both of us.”

Mason’s eyes darted between them for a moment. “… Fine. Just make sure she stays safe.”

“Right now, Mae is my sole priority. She’ll be fine. Are you ready, Mae?”

“Hold on.” She took his hand in hers. “Okay, let’s go.”

Six let out a sigh, but didn’t jerk his hand away. He knew Mae got nervous easily and contact was the one thing that calmed her down. He led her around the side of the warehouse to the entrance and they went inside, left waiting only a few moments before a man stepped out of the darkness.

“Ugh,” Mae scoffed dramatically. “You really are cliche.”

The contact grinned, a surprisingly charming look for him. “Sorry, darlin’. Couldn't resist the cool entrance.” 

“You’re the phone guy?”

“Yeah. I'm the phone guy. And you’re the girl my collective wants to hire so desperately.” 

She shifted her weight. “… This is my handler—“

“Victor Clark, formally labeled, ‘agent X6-88’.”

Six wrenched his hand from Mae’s grip to grab her bicep and tug her behind him. Mae stumbled with the pull, blinking in surprise - from both the protective gesture and the reveal of his real name. Even she hadn’t known it.

“Ah, don’t worry,” the stranger assured. “That was just a way of showin’ you how far our reach is. You can call me Gage, by the way. Pleasure.”

“If your reach is so far, why are you hiring me,” Mae questioned, eyes narrowed as she peaked from behind Six.

Gage gestured to a table with a few chairs tucked underneath - it seemed out of place, like he’d dragged the set in just for the meeting. Mae hesitated until Six made a move for one of the chairs, and she followed suit.

“Our collective is tied to some… pretty high up places,” Gage revealed as they sat across from them. “Some of us have been watching Hector Madrigal for some time, and we all think he needs to be put down. But the higher ups don’t want us fuckin’ with ‘petty crime dealers’. So we can’t use our own hackers. Won’t listen to those of us who want Madrigal to go down. You’re the next best thing.”

She reluctancy smiled. “… Aw.”

“Just Madrigal?” Six questioned. “Not the other bosses?”

“Madrigal’s gettin’ cocky, going overboard.The other bosses…” He paused, eyes darting over the table as he thought. “… They do things in moderation, things that they think are called for. Madrigal’s hoarding information he doesn’t need, and killin’ without obvious reason. He thinks it’ll get ‘im higher up the food chain, but it just shows that he’s gettin’ sloppy. Intel even suggests that he might try and take out one of the other crime lords. That’ll start some shit not even we can calm down.”

“So what do you need from me exactly?” Mae asked.

“He’s not getting sloppy enough for authorities to put up evidence against him to take him down. He’s got skilled people workin’ for ‘im. What we want you to do is get into his files and dig some things up that can be used. Incriminating emails, documents. Stuff like that.”

“Why didn’t you approach me like this the first time instead of nabbing me?”

“This is how I wanted to do it in the first place, but the other guys thought that since he’s technically your boss, you wouldn’t take it. And you didn’t. I’m…” he huffed a grunt of defeat. “Sorry. You know? I wish it had ended differently. You musta been real fucked up after that.”

Mae leaned back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest. “You don’t seem like a guy that’s a part of some high up collective.”

“I’m what we call a street operator. Act sorta like your friend, uh… what was his name…? Nathan Gentry.”

“Can I just say, I don’t like all the info you have.”

“Then you should be sneakier.”

“So should the guy following me around.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Again, not my call. Some of the guys thought you might want to skip town, so they’re watchin’ you.”

“How many ‘guys’ are we talking about?”

“There’s eight of us - six street operators, the ones who really know what’s going on, and two inner workers that aren’t high enough to make some real calls. There _was_ eleven of us, but all that shit happened, and… you know.

“Yeah,” she said, voice low. “I know. Sorry that happened.”

“As I’ve said before, it wasn’t your fault,” Six piped up. “I made the final call, those heads are on me. I should’ve been more specific about what the emergency alert would possibly entail.”

“And the guy on the street that was killed?” Gage mentioned. “That was our bad. The driver panicked.”

“It’s fine.”

“‘It’s fine’?” Mae repeated with disgust. “He was a person, Six.”

“A person who had nothing to live for, which is why he joined that specific group in the first place. He was ready to die, but he wanted to die knowing he helped someone.”

“I hate to interrupt,” Gage said, “But I gotta split. Are you taking the job, or no?”

She looked at Six, and after a long moment of just staring into his shades he nodded. “Yeah. I’ll take it.”

“Great.” He stood up. “You act whenever you’re ready. I’ll be in touch. Oh, and one more thing. Madrigal is gettin’ cocky, but he’s also showing signs of paranoia. He killed three of his own men because he thought they were turning. I know you got a couple friends that are in his inner circle. You’ll do well to tell ‘em be careful.”

Mae stood up with Six. “Got it. Thanks for the warning, Gage.” She extended her hand, and he took in both of his.

“You be careful too, now.”

“Always am.”

“What about payment?” Six asked. “Don’t assume she’s doing this for nothing.”

Mae blushed. “Oh. Right. Uh, your guy said $15,000.”

“That’s an insult,” Six said.

“Exactly.”

“Ah. Shit,” Gage chuckled. “That was his bad. The price was $50,000. Musta heard wrong. And if that ain’t satisfactory, we’re prepared to provide you with any tech you’ll need from here on out as a tacked on bonus.”

“I already do that for her,” Six told him. “The price alone will be enough.”

“Great.”

“How do I contact you when I’m done?” Mae asked.

“You don’t. I’ll reach out first. Now, I really gotta get my ass somewhere else, so I’ll say goodbye.” He backed away towards the shadows. “Remember. Be careful, darlin’.” The darkness engulfed him.

Mae cupped her hands around her mouth. “Ah, that was so lame!”

A laugh echoed and faded out.

 

“Out,” Six ordered Mason when they got back to the car. “Back seat.”

Mason obeyed, albeit with a bit of attitude in his movements. He put a hand on the back of Mae’s neck, kneading away tension. “You good?”

“Mhm,” she hummed. “I’ll tell you what happened when we get back on the road.”

 

* * *

 

Mason listened with his brows furrowed in rapt attention.

“Have you noticed any of this?” Six asked from the driver’s seat. “Madrigal acting strange, taking advanced action?”

“He’s been havin’ us kill more people than usual,” Mason answered, and he saw Mae stiffen in peripheral view. _Shouldn’t’ve said it outright._ “We’ve been grabbin’ a lot of info too, but we don’t look over it, so I can’t say if it’s useless or not.”

“What about what he said about killing off his own?” Mae questioned. “Finn and the others?”

“Musta killed ‘em…” He didn't catch himself quick enough, and he turned to Mae with slightly widened eyes to see her lean forward, head in her hands.

"I should've worried more," she said quietly. "I should've been persistent, I shouldn't've fucking listened. I knew something was up, I fucking knew and I just..."

"Hey, hey, hey," Mason hushed, leaning forward. "It ain't your fault, y'hear me? When a crime boss wants you dead, it's over. There ain't nothin' you could've done." Hearing it out loud, it didn't sound as comforting as he wanted it to be. But he still saw a peak of a smile.

"Always honest." She sat up, wiping at her eyes. "Don't wanna think about it."

"That's fine, kitten. So, you took the job. Where you doin' it?"

“She needs to be careful, so she’ll conduct the job at my place,” Six told him. “Then she’ll lay low until Madrigal is dealt with.”

“I wanna be with ‘er,” Mason responded.

“Unwise. In fact, no contact at all will be maintained until all of this blows over. We were advised to be careful, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“Is that necessary or are you cuttin’ me off ‘cause you don’t like me.”

“I never said I didn’t like you.”

Mason blinked. “Oh.”

“Keep in mind, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“How about I stay at Mason’s tonight, then head over to your place tomorrow,” Mae suggested.

“… Fine.”

“Great.” She dug her phone out. “I’m gonna call Connie and bring 'im up to speed."


	13. Chapter 13

“You’re sure about this?” Mason asked her, closing the door behind them. “I can just take care of ‘im myself. Two bullets, all done.”

“And then a massive wave of backlash hits you,” Mae added, picking up Rex as he circled her excitedly. “It’ll be fine, big guy.” She smiled. “Are you gonna miss me when I lay low?”

He put his keys on the island. “You know? I think I will. And it’s gonna drive me fuckin’ crazy ‘cause I ain’t that type.” Mae’s smiled faltered as he placed his hands on the side of her neck, thumbs soothing over the corners of her jaw. “Never wanted anyone like I want you.”

“You mean… for a good time?”

He huffed out a laugh. “Partly.”

Her voice lowered. “What’s the other part?”

His jaw clenched, and he took Rex from her to put him on the floor. “Look, I ain’t good with words. I’m better at beatin’ the shit outta people than talkin’ to ‘im. I can’t even put it together in my head right how I’m… y’know. Feelin’. But I gotta tell ya, so…” He glanced away, brows furrowed as he thought. “This started as just sex, right? I’ve had that with a lot of people, and I had no problem givin’ them the boot. But with you, from that very first night, I just… I keep wantin’ to be with you. And not just fuckin’, which is weird, considerin’ how this started. I wanna spend time with you. Y’know… hang out. I ain’t never wanted that with anyone who ain't one of my pals. This isn’t just fucking, and it’s more than friendship. At least, that’s how it is for me.”

Mae opened her mouth to speak, to tell him she felt the same, but he kept talking. “And I know it ain’t been long since we started talkin’, all right, I know that. And I think it’s bullshit when people blab about how they’re in love after like two weeks, makes me wanna roll my fuckin’ eyes, but at the same time I kinda—“

“Love?” Mae blurted, not meaning to. But the word had surprised her, had her heart tripping over itself.

Mason blinked at her, then groaned, gliding his hands over his face. “Fuck. I didn’t mean… I ain’t sayin’ that—“

“Shut up.” She pulled him down into a hard kiss. Mason took in a breath through his nose and lifted Mae up by her thighs, pinning them to his waist as he carried her towards the bed. Rex followed them by Mason's heels until he scooped him up and shut him into the guest room with a mumbled apology.

“Point of all that shit I was spewin’,” he said as he returned to the bed, yanking off his shirt. “I want you to be my girl, Mae. Just mine. And I ain’t never had somethin’ like that before, but… I want it with you.”

A smile split her face, and she pulled him down, the bruiser stumbling with his pants around his ankles. “I don’t think you really comprehend how sweet you sound right now.”

“I ain’t fuckin’ _sweet_ ,” he grumbled as he undressed her.

“No, of course not. You’re the big bad bruiser. Super scary. _Grrr_.”

“Yeah, keep talkin’, smart ass.”

She cocked a brow. “What, what’re you gonna do. Beat me up?”

“I have various methods of punishment.” He kissed her, and she moaned against him as he glided his fingers along her slit before circling her clit. He slid his fingers inside her, angling them just right and started to thrust them, his thumb giving attention to her clit. He moved with purpose, working to bring her to the edge as quickly as he could. He kissed her incessantly, swallowing her whimpers and sighs. But when she started to balance on the precipice of coming, Mason drew back.

“No, no, no, no,” Mae huffed in rapid fire, and when she tried to use her own fingers Mason pinned her wrists to the bed. Her orgasm crept away, a frustrating and annoying feeling. “Oh that’s such a shitty move,” she panted. “Now I gotta add one more thing to that list of things you do that piss me off.” She felt him grin as he kissed her neck, and affection started to cloud in her chest. She hooked her leg around his waist and he followed the push of her thigh, rolling off of her so she could straddle him. She ran her hands up his chest appreciatively.

“Y’know, I’m gettin’ a feeling you only like me for my body,” he joked.

She hummed a laugh. “Not true. I like everything about you. Well, almost everything…” She brushed her fingers over his palms before lacing them with his. “Do you… sometimes get flashbacks? Triggers?”

His expression sobered. “All the time, kitten.”

“How do you deal with them?”

“You just gotta let ‘em pass, pay ‘em no mind. Trying to suppress them only makes them hit you harder. Focus on ‘em too much, they eat you up inside.”

“You must think I’m a little pathetic, being effected by something so little compared to all you’ve done and seen.”

“Hey,” he hushed, sitting up. “That ain’t true. What I’ve experienced don’t diminish what you’re sufferin’ through.”

She avoided his eyes, kept her gaze on their hands. “The gunshots are so loud sometimes I’m almost surprised my ears don’t ring.”

“They quiet down. I promise.”

Her throat tightened and she leaned forward to kiss him, unlacing their fingers to bookend his face. The want and lust slowly built up again, drowning out the worry and regret, and Mae lifted her hips. Mason lowered himself to his elbows and watched her sink down on his cock, taking him inch by inch until the junction of her thighs met his hips.

Sex had never felt this _right_ before. Like it was something more than just getting each other off. Mae's heart swelled with it and her whole body sang with something other than pleasure, something comforting and warm that was almost dizzying with how light it made her feel.

Mae braced her hands on his lower stomach and started to ride him, driving down and twisting her hips while the bounce of her ass against Mason’s lap set the rhythm. The orgasm she was denied moments ago started to speed back.

“Oh god,” she sighed, eyes closed as she concentrated. “You always feel so fucking good, big guy.” She met his eyes and was hit with a heady wave of arousal, but something else rode with it. “Fuck, I think I…”

 _Not yet,_ she told herself. _Wait until you’re sure._

“I’m gonna come,” she breathed instead, her movements getting quicker and more desperate. “Mason…”

“Wanna come inside you,” he told her, reaching a hand up to gently wrap it around her throat.

“Yes,” she whimpered, as an answer and approval. “Yes, yes, yes—” She sunk down all the way and came hard around him, holding his gaze as city lights shone in peripheral view from the window. Just as the high was climaxing Mason flipped them and held her close as he drove her into the mattress, one of her legs hooked over his forearm. Mae cried out in ecstasy, hands tugging at Mason’s hair, and he fucked her through the last waves of her orgasm. She whimpered out a moan as she felt him come inside her, the bruiser nipping at her neck.

Mason pulled out of her, and they laid in comfortable silence for a while, his head on Mae’s ribcage and his arms wrapped around her waist.

“Will you watch Rex while I’m gone?”

Mason lifted his head and blinked at her, then closed his eyes and huffed out a laugh. “Yes, I’ll watch him. And I can, uh… have a key made for you. If you want.”

“For your place?”

“No, for the treasure I buried outside. Yes for my place.”

Mae snorted and gently shoved his head, getting another chuckle out of him. “Yeah. All right.” She stayed quiet for a moment. “… What are you gonna do if Madrigal goes down?”

“ _When_ he goes down, you mean,” Mason corrected. “I dunno. I can go without a job for a while. Got enough money for it. What about you, you gonna quit entertainment?”

“Maybe. I can definitely make a comfortable living off hacking jobs, but that’s be awfully boring.” She shrugged. “We’ll figure it out.” She felt Mason smile.

“Yeah. We will.”

 

* * *

 

“Maman will miss you, baby,” Mae said after kissing Rex for the fourteenth time.

“Why does the fuckin’ dog get kissed more than I do,” Mason grumbled.

“Because he’s my angel and has never done anything wrong or annoying in his entire life, ever.”

“So that shit on the guest room carpet is... what.”

“An accident that he won’t be held accountable for.” She put him down and heaved out a breath. “Okay. I’m gonna stop at the drugstore then head for Six’s. Maybe get a coffee on the way.”

“What, the guy doesn’t have a coffee maker?”

“He does, but cafe coffee is better.”

“It’s literally the same.”

“Don’t argue on this, okay, you’ll lose.” She pulled him down into a kiss. “See you later. I’ll call you as soon as all this blows over.” She knelt down to scratch Rex’s ear. “Behave for daddy, okay?”

“Do _not_ refer to me as ‘daddy’ when speaking about the mutt,” Mason said as Mae slipped through the door.

“As opposed to when?” she asked wryly, and Mason shot her a glare. "Hmm, that's very interesting. We'll have to explore that later." She closed the door.

 

 

Mae burst into Six’s place. “I have an extra large iced coffee and I am ready as fuck to hack into a crime boss’s business.”

Six stood up from untangling a few wires. “Just don’t chug the coffee down in five minutes and you should be good. Are you getting to work right away?”

“I should. It’s going to take a while with how careful I’m gonna have to be. But first…” She shimmied out of her pants. “Okay, all set.”

Six rubbed at his forehead tiredly. “Whatever works I suppose.”

“That’s the spirit.” She started up the main computer using the large monitor mounted on the wall. “Here we go.”


	14. Chapter 14

Nine hours later and she was in, only to find no incriminating evidence. Her eyes were tired and strained, her neck hurt from craning her head towards the monitor, and her ass was sore from the hard floor. She went through every single email before her luck changed at the third to last, dumped in the trash folder. A message to one of his confidants, scolding him for putting important information in an email. He went on to write that he kept everything safe on his personal computer under thick security, offline so it couldn’t be reached.

After unsuccessfully searching for the mentioned email, she laid down and stared at the ceiling.

_… On his private computer, huh? It’d be easy enough to find his address, and Mason said he’s going out of town… Fuck it. Gotta make all this worth it. Wanna get Mason out of this life._

She sat up and went to work on finding the crime lord’s home. Once she did, she stood and stretched, then yanked her pants back on and left.

 

 

Madrigal’s place was just as big and obnoxious as Mae expected. But apparently even crime lords could forget to lock their windows. She had to make a bit of a climb, but the cliche ivy vines growing on the house’s exterior helped her to the third floor. She squeezed passed the sill and pane, silently stepping foot inside.

Mae couldn’t hold back from snooping a little, and after looking through each room she deducted that Madrigal had a wife obsessed with vanity and three daughters. He had an office of his own, locked behind a door that was surprisingly easy to pick. Maybe because he wasn’t expecting anyone to try and break in.

Mae did some more snooping before taking a seat at the desk in front of the computer to get to work. If details on ‘thick security’ were anything to go by, it would take a while.

 

* * *

 

“Thanks man,” Mason said, taking the freshly cut key and pocketing it. “Take it easy.” The shop owner gave him a bright smile in response, and Mason left. Just as he got into his car, his cell rang.

“Yeah.”

_“Mason.”_

His brows furrowed. “Hey boss. What’s up?”

_“I need you to pick me up from the airport at earliest convenience.”_

He paused, just shy of turning the key in the ignition. “Just you?”

_“Yes. My family is settled.”_

“I, uh… I don’t copy. Your girls are stayin’ behind?”

A long pause. _“I have some things to explain to you. Come and pick me up, please. I wish to go home.”_

He started his car. “Yessir.”

 

* * *

 

Whatever Mae had expected to find, it wasn’t a plan to create a literal war between almost all of the crime bosses. She did find a few lesser things, ledgers and schedules and receipts, documents stating that he killed a few people for the slightest reasons. But they were nothing compared to the main plan. He had it all set - hired skilled killers to take down a couple of the bosses and stealth-focused mercenaries that could frame the others for their murder. Among the evidence were also methods of sabotage meant to be sprung, then framed.

Mae dug a usb from her pocket and jacked it into the computer to begin downloading the evidence. _So I just get this intel to… who. The police? They seem kind of green for stuff as big as this. I’ll just ask Six. Oh, he’s going to kill me for coming here._

_Wonder how long I’ll have to lay low. Hopefully not long - I already miss Mason. Is that clingy? Hope not. I don’t wanna be a clingy girlfriend…_

_Am I his girlfriend? I guess I am. He told me he wanted me to be, and that’s what I want. So… yeah. I am._

_Hope he can just cut this life cold turkey. At least the killing part. Maybe we can—_

The door opened and she scrambled up, panic hitting her like a canon ball. Madrigal paused, expression twisted in slight disbelief as he looked her up and down.

“… Oh, Mae,” he finally said. “Out of everyone I expected to be a traitor, you weren’t among them. I applaud you, you know. Very sneaky. I suspect you found my ‘treasure trove’ of information? Maybe it was a bit foolish of me to keep everything in the same place. But even men like me can have a certain extent of laziness.” He reached for his waistband. “It’ll be a shame, such a young and vibrant thing meeting her demise like this. But I simply can’t allow you to do whatever it is you plan to do with that info. Give it to police, rival bosses, maybe you were going to bribe me. I guess I’ll be left wondering.”

“Or I can tell you?” she offered, finding her voice.

“That’s called stalling, my dear. Stalling is for the movies.”

“Sometimes things from movies happen.”

He chuckled. “I will miss you. That I am sure of.”

“Well that’s awkward. I won’t miss you.” She lashed her hand for her own pistol, and Madrigal fired.

 

* * *

 

Mason sat in the driveway, tiredly rubbing at his face with his hands. Madrigal had been controlling several operations for months, and he hadn’t picked up on them.

 _“So Finn and the others…?”_ he’d questioned.

 _“They were asking too many questions,”_ Madrigal answered. Apparently they were good enough to see that something was going down.

_“And the whole point of your trip was to get your girls somewhere safe.”_

_“I fear that once I kick things off, the other bosses will become desperate and go after my family. Like I’ve told you, loved ones are put at risk in this business.”_

Funny how when ‘loved ones’ came up his mind went right to Mae. It was too early to call it love, he knew that. Maybe there was another word for how he was feeling. A real fancy one that looked right only when written in cursive script.

The first gunshot nearly had him jumping out of his own skin, and the second had him practically launching out of the car. The third one went off when he reached the door, and everything fell silent when he broke it down. “Yo, boss? Hey!” He called for him repeatedly, getting an answer on the third floor - a gurgling cry from the office. Mason flew down the corridor, and what he found nearly had him vomiting out his own heart. Madrigal dead on the floor from what Mason assumed was a bullet to the head, because Mae’s pistol was on the floor. Right next to the woman herself, her hand clutching at her bleeding waist.

“No, no, no,” he breathed, voice wavering as he got on his knees beside her. “This ain’t happenin’. It ain’t.”

“It’s—it’s all on the usb,” she told him, crying out when he pulled her onto his lap. “Okay? It’s on there.”

Mason was already dialing for an ambulance. “Shh, shh. S'all right.” A woman with a stern voice answered, and the call lasted only a few moments before he was hanging up. "I need to see it, kitten, all right? Move your hand for me."

"It hurts."

He screwed his eyes shut against the pain in her voice. "I know, kitten. Just let me see it for a sec." He looked closer as soon as she lifted a shaking hand from the wound, and a small bit of relief lifted some of the dread hanging on him. It wasn't a fatal shot. The only way she could die from it was blood loss. 

“Am I gonna—“

“Nah, kitten,” he interrupted. “You’re gonna be all right. Y’hear me? He didn’t get you good.”

“S-Scar’s gonn—gonna make me a litt—little ugly, huh.”

He huffed out a laugh, though his heart was being gripped by a cruel, cold fist, and tears were pricking his eyes. “It won’t. It won’t. There ain’t a thing on this planet that can make you ugly.”

Her own attempted smile twitched away. “I killed ‘im. I k—“ She broke the word with a pained whimper. “Mas-Mason, it was me. I p-pulled the trigger.”

“You’ll be okay, kitten. All right? You’ll get through it.”

Her brows twitched together. “Why… don’t I feel bad about it?”

He didn't answer and she didn't ask again. He just held her, his hand replacing hers over the bullet wound.

A call from downstairs came minutes later. “Hello? Sir, are you here?”

“Up here!” Mason called back. “Hear that, Mae? You’re gonna get help real soon.”

“Don’t forg—forget the usb,” she told him, her gaze starting to lose focus.

“I won’t. Don’t worry about that shit, all right?”

A team of three barged into the office, and a wave of relief hit Mason so hard it made him dizzy.


	15. Chapter 15

“You shoulda fuckin’ told me,” Conrad repeated, pacing back and forth next to Mae’s hospital bed. “You woulda had backup and this wouldn’t’ve happened. Actually, you shouldn’t have been there in the fuckin’ first place.”

“He was away—“

“I don’t fuckin’ care.”

Why did she even try.

“All right, I think she gets it,” Mason said gently, his hand clasped with Mae’s. She had gotten out of surgery the day before, and visitors were allowed in just an hour ago. She was a bit hopped up on pain killers, but she was coherent.

“Where’s Six?” Connie asked. “Thought he’d be here.”

“He was taking care of the scene last I heard from ‘im,” Mason answered. “I tried to call to tell ‘im we were let in to see ‘er, but he didn’t answer. I just left a message.”

“He’s gonna yell at me when he gets here,” Mae said weakly. “I can feel it.”

Nate strode in with a small cup of ice cream. “Here, Maeday."

“You’re a saint.”

He giggled. “Oh, gorgeous, that’s the farthest thing any of us are from.”

A knock against the door, and Gage appeared. “Hey there, darlin’.”

“Who’s this cowboy soundin’ son of a bitch,” Mason questioned.

“Gage,” Mae answered. “What’re you doin’ here?”

“Carpooled with your handler. I’ve been working with ‘im on fixin’ things. He’s very…”

She nodded in understanding. “Mhm. So where is he?”

“Gettin’ vases from one of the staff.”

Her brows furrowed. “Vases?”

As if summoned, X6 strode into the room holding three large bouquets of irises in one arm and glass vases in the other. “Move,” he ordered Mason, and he shifted his chair closer to Mae’s bed to let Six set the flowers up on the bedside table. “Gage and I quieted down Madrigal’s death and made it seem like he ran off with his family to Mexico. That managed to keep the other bosses calm, and Gage’s superiors bought it as well.”

“They don’t care enough to check,” Gage added. "They're just glad he's gone."

“As a bonus, Gage has arranged for the ownership of Madrigal’s nightclub to fall to you.” Six stepped away from the table and lifted his shades to sit on his head. “Also, you’re a fucking idiot.”

Tears trickled down her cheeks and she choked on a hiccup, her body jolting with it and tugging at her wound. “Ow.”

Six leaned forward and swiped the tears away. “Crying was the exact opposite of what you were supposed to do.”

“It’s happy crying.”

He sighed through his nose. “You should have at the very least told me you were heading out.”

“I knew you’d try to stop me. And look, it ended up okay.”

“You were shot.”

“But I got a nightclub out of it.” She closed an eye as Mason pressed a kiss against her cheek, as he’s been doing at random moments since they let him in.

Six held her gaze for a moment. “… How do you feel? Mentally.”

“You don’t care about the physical?”

“You were shot, it’s obvious you’d be in pain. Therefore I don't need to ask. So?”

“I don’t feel bad about what happened. Don’t hear the gunshot in my head. Maybe I’m getting used to killing.” She looked at Mason. “I don’t wanna get used to it.” He kissed her lips, and through it she could’ve sworn she felt the ache in his chest.

"Everyone outta my way!"

Mae was startled by Magnolia's voice, and she broke the kiss to see the singer shooing Nate from her path. She placed the iced coffee she had in her hand on the table. "Oh, honey lamb, I am so sorry this happened. Are you okay? Why do you have just two pillows? Someone get her more pillows! You, get her more. Mae, angel, I got you a drink. Need anything else? I got whiskey right in my purse if you... Oh honey, whatcha cryin' for?"

Mae smiled through the tears. "I love you, Mags." She closed her eyes as Magnolia planted kisses over her face, staining her with red lips.

A nurse peaked in. "Ma'am, we told you that there's too many--"

"If I'm leavin' here it's gonna be dead and cold. A patient with a gunshot wound should be allowed as many visitors in the room as she goddamn wants."

"I'll fuck off," Gage volunteered. "Gotta make sure all the ends are tied up anyway." He took Mae's hand and kissed it. "Feel better soon, darlin'."

"Who's the cowboy?" Magnolia asked, sitting on the edge of Mae's bed.

She smiled when he shot her a wink before slipping out of the room. "Gage." She put a hand on Mason's cheek, scraping her nails over his stubble. "Sshh."

"I didn't say nothin'."

"I can feel the violence radiating from you. Magnolia, guess what?"

"What, honey." She handed Mae her coffee.

"I own Madrigal's now."

Her eyes nearly shot out of her skull. "What? How?! You know what, it doesn't matter. I'm so happy for you. You're gonna make changes, right? The girls would love to be able to decide their own schedule."

"'Course. And I'm gonna change the name."

"You got any ideas?"

Nate piped up," Maeday's?"

"Sounds more like a restaurant than a nightclub," Mae responded.

"Kitten's?" Mason suggested.

"Mmm... No. I'll think of something." She turned to Mason. "You wanna be head of security?"

He gave her a smile. "Yeah. I can do that." He leaned in and kissed her, palm brushing over her cheek on its path to her hair. The gunshots from what seemed like so long ago echoed in her mind like she knew they would, but they seemed further away.

Quieter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I know this might not be my best fic, it might seem kinda rushed, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway :) It was fun to write
> 
> \- Ellie


End file.
